The Therapist
by Tabbykitty
Summary: What would you do if you were a hooker and suddenly found yourself in the Fedual Era? Would you end up giving personal advice to Sesshoumaru, Naraku and every other major demon in the world? Just what on earth would you say?
1. A Long Streak of Bad Luck

_Disclaimer: "Inuyasha" and all the characters that appear in it belong to the author Rumiko Takahashi. I don't own them at all._

_However, in order to write a fanfic that makes sense, I've had to create some original characters of my own._

_This idea for a story came about over a cup of coffee with a friend who's a big anime fan. We did a little psychological analysis of the different Inuyasha characters. When we got to the Sesshoumaru character, I kinda realised that in all the fanfiction stories I have read, Sess seems to be terrific at everything… including his skills and abilities as a lover. _

_Well, looking at his general character profile and the evidence provided in both the manga and anime, Sess seems to be the sort of person that doesn't get into relationships easily OR has flings just for heck of it. Being in complete control and having others perceive him as a being that is above petty mortal concerns seem to be things that Sess really holds dear to his heart._

_As such, it would ALSO be unlikely that he has had much experience dating or bedding women. I found this a really interesting premise for a romantic story and decided to do a "what if…." where the "perfect" demon lord discovers that he has a rather embarrassing shortcoming…_

_Word Translations:_

_Youkai – demon  
__Taiyoukai – great demon  
__Hanyou – half-demon  
Ningen - human_

_**Note:**Currently this story exists in an alternate universe and isn't a continuation of my other story "Becoming Sesshoumaru". However, things might change in the writing, so check back regularly for updates and notices. : )_

* * *

Yukiko rolled her eyes and tried to suppress a yawn as the male youkai on top of her spilled his seed and withdrew his manhood. Clearly her lover for the night was exhausted and rather flustered as he clumsily flopped down on the stony surface beside her, nearly crushing her slender arm. With a graceful motion, the snow demoness got up from the flattish rock that they had made love on and reached towards the side to grab her fine, silky garb. As she did so, she felt two hands trying their best to encircle themselves around her rather shapely butt and pull her body towards her partner. 

Wriggling herself expertly away from the male youkai, who, like her, had snowy hair, she hopped off the rock onto the bare snow of the pine forest and slipped on her kimono with a single, swift movement.

"Where are you going?" the male demon, naked in the pale moonlight learned over the rock and asked, his voice muffled by the hideous Oni mask that he wore.

She quickly caressed the masked face and said, "I have to be off now, much business awaits me back in my winter abode."

"You will meet with me, again, will you not?"

"Most likely…" she smiled slyly and flew off on the blizzard into the night.

As he saw her departing form lift into the sky, his ears twitched uncomfortably when his keen hearing picked up a soft and rather contemptuous "-Not!-" which echoed downwards in his direction. There was a long pause before the youkai jumped off the rock onto the snowy forest floor and slipped on the silvery garment he had worn for this occasion. When he was sure that he was alone, he hastily ripped off the Oni mask. Even in the flat, almost monochrome nighttime scene, it was obvious that his face was beet red.

Yukiko was the most notorious demoness who lived in the lands that bordered his own realm. She had little discrimination when it came to men and would bed anyone, even the occasional human. However, unlike most other demonesses who took and dumped lovers as quickly as one would change clothes, she would keep in contact with all her lovers, savouring each one in turn, as though they were all delicate wines. However, it was painfully obvious that she wanted nothing more to do with him.

He growled angrily. _'How DARE she!' _he thought, anger rising rapidly in his veins. Did she not know that he was Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands? He wanted to fly to her mansion and slap the wench for rejecting him in such a swift manner. However, he blushed furiously when he thought about the shame of having been the only man she had ever actually dumped after a single night's stand. His only consolation was that he had never revealed his identity to her. At least, he was still able to maintain his manly pride.

Furious and unable to contain his rising anger, at himself, he leaped into the air and flew towards the nearest mountain. There were going to be a lot of demon deaths tonight.

* * *

_**Quite a lot of years later...**_

Sesshoumaru gasped and collapsed on the dry forest floor. His side was hurting worse than he had thought possible. Grasping the root of a tree, he used his single good arm to heave himself into a natural nook, shaped like a seat from the undulation of the forest floor and the roots of an old oak tree. Pulling off his shattered armour, he reached inside his white kimono and touched the tender spot, bringing out a hand that was stained with blood.

"Damn that miko!" he cursed loudly.

He had gone again to his unworthy hanyou half-brother to see if he could somehow wrest the Tetsuaiga from Inuyasha. He was SURE this time that he would be able to get the blade. With Tokijin in one hand, he had forced his half-brother into the hard rock face of a cliff wall. Cut off from most of his friends, the hanyou faced certain death at the hands of his brother. However, as he was about to deliver the killing blow, he heard a familiar female voice shout, "Inuyasha!" and found a glowing arrow embedded in the shoulder of his good arm. Another arrow shattered his armour before he leapt aside and turned to face his attacker.

Furious at being thwarted in his moment of triumph, he charged at Kagome. However, the girl loosed an arrow which hit him in the side. This time, the sting of the arrow burned like molten fire. Screaming in anger and no small amount of pain, he took a great leap and flew off into the clouds where he yanked out the two arrows. There was no way he was going to allow that wretched couple see him, the great Sesshoumaru, in this much agony.

The demon lord tore off a bit of cloth from his garment and tried to stop the bleeding from the wound at his side. He cursed the wretched couple loudly again when it was evident that his feeble attempts at self-treatment weren't exactly successful. Normally, arrows had no effect against him, but the miko's purifying powers had somehow made the wounds burn and prevented his own demonic powers from quickly regenerating his broken body.

It was now evident to him that Kagome, his brother's wench, was becoming a bigger threat than the hanyou was. "She'll pay," he muttered angrily, his pride and ego hurt by the crushing defeat he had suffered at the hands of the girl.

If he had known that she would be such a bother, he would have made sure she was dead the first time they met in his father's tomb. He had tried to kill her, but her incredible luck seemed to prevail despite overwhelming odds. Brooding over his past failures to get his father's blade, he realised that for the large part, she had been instrumental in saving Inuyasha whenever the brothers fought.

"Just a stupid Ningen girl," he growled under his breath, thinking of a hundred and one ways to deal death to the fragile female, whom, he unpleasantly noted, had a habit of going about indecently dressed.

Why such a weak and worthless creature would be blessed with such incredible powers was beyond his comprehension. The only right thing to do would be wipe this paradox from the face of the world… his world to be exact. However, that was one of the things that he was EVENTUALLY going to do, much like his quest to rule the Earth. Being an immortal had its advantages. He could wait, and he had all the time in the world.

* * *

****

**_One Week Later..._**

Although eternity was his birthright, calm patience unfortunately wasn't. A sheaf of papers went fluttering in a graceful fountain as a tremendous "Aaaarrrrgghhhhhhh!" reverberated though the grand palace of the Lord of the Western lands. Seated on a tatami mat floor before a low lacquered table with books and reports stacked high on either side was the aforementioned demon lord of the western lands, with his face buried in the crook of his remaining arm after tossing aside a bunch of reports.

After a moment, Sesshoumaru lifted his head off the table and massaged one of his temples with his right hand. He closed his eyes and tried to meditate, focusing on the blissful nothingness behind his shut lids. He sighed as he felt the calm of an altered state taking over… and then… he saw it again, a leggy girl with black, shiny hair and HIGHLY obscene clothes prancing through a flower covered field.

Growling angrily, he opened his eyes and nearly ripped to pieces a report from one of his spies. However, it was not his famous self-control that caused him to pause midway, but a tremendous pain he felt along his waist. He growled and touched the spot where Jaken had helped him bandage. Although the bleeding was now a lot less than a few days ago, it still hurt like hell.

He had AGAIN made an attempt to wrest the Tetsuaiga from his half-brother. This time, he caught the silly couple sharing a private moment watching the stars from the top of a cliff near the village where the hanyou was bound for 50 years. He had quite an advantage as he managed to corner both of them, especially the miko, without her bow and arrows against the sheer drop of a cliff. As expected, Inuyasha drew his sword and they exchanged blows. Being the superior swordsman, the demon lord managed to get his half-brother into a position where he could easily chop him in half with Tokijin. And AGAIN, as he was about to claim his moment of triumph, his brother's wench saved him by pushing away the demon lord with her bare hands!

When her hands touched his side, they glowed with an ethereal light that caused his armour to shatter and burned a huge wound into his side. Although he was hurting badly, Sesshoumaru managed to exit the scene with some measure of grace. However, he was mortified that he had again lost to that wretched slip of a girl. And what was worse was that he began having horrible dreams about her and her glowing miko powers. Dreams where she danced around him, glowing from head-to-toe with her purifying energy; where his fingers burned whenever he reached out to grab her.

Sesshoumaru had hoped that his duties as lord of the Western Lands would somehow distract his mind from the nightmares, but then he started seeing her all the time, in his head, especially when he was preoccupied with the dull and tedious work of managing his domain. Picking up a bell, he summoned the greenish toad-like creature who was his faithful retainer. The toad came in moments later, bowing and scraping as he always did.

"Jaken, get my things together and round up one or two of my spies. We are going on a journey."

The toad bowed low, punctuating his replies with "Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama…" "Right away, Sesshoumaru-sama…"

There was a minor disturbance along one of the border areas. Normally he would have dispatched one of his agents to settle the problem, but he needed to get away from this current problem with his brother's miko and decided to look into the problem himself.

Now, despite what many people tend to believe, the demon lord's lands didn't just consist of untamed stretches of wilderness where no humans dared to set foot on. It was dotted with peaceful villages, small shrines and even the occasional town, and Furuzawa was one such town, located on what used to be marshy land before humans colonized it. It was a medium sized town, whose mayor was in fact, a youkai by the name of Matsumoto.

Of course, none of the humans knew that their mayor was youkai and that in fact, their dear lord Sesshoumaru was actually a nine-hundred-year-old demon. Neither of them appeared to their vassals in their true form, and most people saw Matsumoto as a tall, forty-year-old man with a short moustache and dark hair that was neatly tied up in a topknot. Despite what most high-born youkai might say about humans, they did adore the fine fabrics, elegant pottery and the beautiful lacquer ware that humans produced. Since his father's time, Sesshoumaru recognized the advantage that well-cultivated lands and willing vassals brought to a demon lord such as himself. It was his ability adapt to changes while retaining those traits that made him the most feared demon this side of the world that won him the allegiance of those whom he ruled.

Unlike his excursions with Rin, he didn't bring Ah-Un along instead, rode on a horse at the head of a wagon and a small retinue, just like any other human lord. Using certain clever illusions, he and his retinue took the form of normal humans. Jaken appeared as a warty, bow-legged man of about fifty. Sesshoumaru on the other hand, caused his distinctive facial markings to disappear, replaced his pointed ears with rounded ones, and changed the colour of his air and eyes to a dark midnight blue.

Despite wearing the form that he detested most of all, he keenly understood the need to maintain certain pretenses when politics and the duties of rulership called for it. And Sesshoumaru was definitely an astute politician.

It was supposed to be a stress-free trip, at least for the beleaguered demon lord, however, by the end of the first day, he found himself confronted with his first problem. As daytime turned into a rather chilly night, one of the guards heard a loud sneezing coming from a large box on the wagon. Thinking it might be a hidden enemy; the entire retinue surrounded the box and opened it, spears held aloft and ready to strike at any assailant that jumped out. However, they nearly jumped when a rather familiar, "Sesshoumaru-sama?" echoed from the box. Soon, a small girl in an orange kimono climbed out.

"Rin." The demon lord kept his demeanor as calm as he could. "Why are you here?"

"Rin heard that Sesshoumaru-sama was going on a journey, but was not bringing Rin along… Rin decided to come along because she misses traveling with Sesshoumaru-sama very much," she said, very sheepishly, giving him a puppy-eyed look.

It took a tremendous amount of willpower and many years of playing the role of a popsicle to prevent himself from smacking his forehead. He looked at her calmly before turning away.

"Get some sleep. The road will be long."

The little girl's face widened into a smile at his words.


	2. Trouble In Furuzawa

_Disclaimer: I don't own "Inuyasha"._

_After writing quite a bit of this chapter, I decided to change the story categorization from Humour to Drama. I had originally intended for this to be a sort of comedy, but a better dramatic story emerged from all that brainstorming._

_Word Translations:_

_Youkai – demon  
Taiyoukai – great demon  
Hanyou – half-demon  
Ningen – human  
Yukata – unlined summer kimono, a kind of informal garment worn at home and at hot springs.  
Hai! – Yes!  
Gasa – a woven rice straw hat that resembles an over-large bowl or mushroom that covers 2/3s of the face _

* * *

Sachiko Taji woke with a start, when a familiar gruff voice yelled her name as the owner pounded his fists on her front door.

"You slut!" the banging continued. "Where's the money you owe me!"

Jumping out of her bed in fear, the petite woman secured the yukata that she slept in and climbed out of her bedroom window and onto the flimsy steel landing. Hiking up her skirts, she swung one leg out over the railing and made a small leap to reach a fire escape ladder that hugged the wall beside her balcony. Climbing down three stories, she ran as fast as she could down the nearly deserted city street. Unfortunately, she was spotted by two men, associates of her would-be assailant, waiting in a car parked alongside her building. They shouted at her, and then started the engine of the car.

Sachiko gave a little shriek as the headlights of the car lit up her fleeing form. She ran as fast as her bare feet could carry her, but the car and its occupants got closer and closer until she could almost feel the heat of the headlights on her legs. Then, she tripped and went down.

The car screeched to a halt when the driver saw Sachiko's falling form disappear below the hood of the vehicle. The men got out and searched the road for the woman who was in all likelihood, badly hurt. To their utter amazement, they found nothing at all! Immediately the driver put the car into reverse to see if Sachiko had fallen into some uncovered manhole, but the road that she was running on was smooth and unmarked. It was as though she vanished into thin air.

**

* * *

**

**500 years in the past ...**

The first thing that she noticed was the horrible splitting headache that seemed to start from the back of her skull. The pain traveled in uneven waves to the front where her temples were. To make it worse, bright sunlight hit her eyes forcing the

poor woman to close them again. She tried to move her hands to her face so she could rub her smarting eyes, but found that they were trapped behind her back in circular metal hoops that were thicker than handcuffs.

She sniffed the air and noticed the distinct absence of exhaust fumes and the smell of the city. It was almost like the air back home in the countryside where she lived as a child. Opening her eyes again, she saw herself in a large wooden cage with several other women who were similarly chained and manacled. The girls she was with didn't look like city folk, for they were clad in shabby yukatas with aprons and some had scarves bundling up their hair.

The next thing that Sachiko noticed was that the cage wasn't on a truck, but on a quaint looking cart drawn by two horses, much like what her great grandfather used to ride from her family farm to the nearby town.

"Where am I?"

No one answered her. One or two of the girls looked in her direction.

"Where are we going?"

Silence again.

"Will someone speak to me… please?" She raised her voice a little.

The cart suddenly jerked to a stop. Through the bars of the cage, Sachiko saw a large figure get off the driver's seat and walk to the back. A banging of chains was followed by a small click which indicated that someone was opening up the door of the cage. Sachiko shrunk back a little when the wooden door swung open. There was something very wrong about this entire scene, and from experience, she knew that bad things usually followed.

The petite woman screamed loudly when she saw the demon's red face. It had a huge nose, horns and protruding tusks coming out of either side of its mouth.

"What did I say about talking, wench!" he roared as he reached into the cage full of terrified women and pulled a very frightened Sachiko out. He flipped her onto the ground beside the cart and pinned her down with the weight of his foot. Then using a thin, sharp reed, he whipped her soundly on her butt and along her slender legs. Although her muffled cries could be heard by all the ladies in the cart they didn't make a single sound or an attempt to escape, even though the demon left the door wide open.

"Look at what you made me do!" the red-faced demon exclaimed as he stared at the raised welts that ran across the length of her calves and legs. Damn these silly human females! Their inability to understand his simple rules always ended up with them – his goods – getting damaged. And buyers at the slave auction seldom bought slaves with visible welts or sores on their skin. Those he did not manage to sell off, he turned into meat, which he then sold to demons with a taste for human flesh.

Lifting her head up by the chain it was secured to, he hissed into her face, "There will be NO MORE WORDS out of you, wench! Otherwise I'll eat you myself when we get to Furuzawa."

The red-faced demon then dragged the poor woman along the ground by the chain and threw her back into the cage. With the door securely locked, the wagon started up again. Lying on the grimy floor of the wooden prison, Sachiko stared upwards at the other women who huddled in terror, not daring to look at her. A tear slid down her cheek when she realised that no one in the cage had the courage to even put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

* * *

"We DO know that they use the slave market as a point of contact for their agents," Matsumoto said, pulling out a report he had received from one of his informants. He then presented it to the long, dark haired young man who sat opposite from him on the tatami mat floor of a private meeting room in his spacious mansion.

The young man glanced at the report, and then added, "Lord Azumamaro is getting too bold."

"It is an affliction of the young who are new to the reins of power, my lord," the mayor of Furuzawa observed. "It's only been two years since the current lord of the East succeeded his sire, after the ancient demon's tragic and ignoble death at the hands of his son."

"Is it true he was killed while he slept?"

"Indeed," Matsumoto nodded. "Despite his polite demeanour and cultured manners, these pleasantries hide Azumamaro's cruel and dishonourable nature… He is indeed a demon to watch."

"Perhaps."

The two "men" settled into a profound silence broken only by the hissing of tea being poured into cups by a servant girl. Sesshoumaru sighed inwardly. He was truly in his element. No more semi-naked girls screaming his half-brother's name, no sacred miko powers burning his lovely ivory skin, just good old fashioned politics with a dash of intrigue.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!"

For the second time in a single week, he had to restrain himself from smacking his forehead.

"Rin," he said, without turning. "Stand still."

Immediately the girl stopped, holding a bunch of flowers in her hand. The demon lord got up and went to the garden where the child stood absolutely still, like a perfect little statue, as though she were playing some kind of game.

"Rin, find Jaken and stay with him. Do not leave this house."

"Hai! Sesshoumaru-sama!" the girl cried cheerfully and skipped away.

Matsumoto had seen the little human girl when he visited the palace of his lord. He found it strange that his lord had allowed a human, of all creatures to remain by his side. Perhaps Lord Sesshoumaru found it amusing to keep a human child as a pet. After all, this strange practice was not unheard of. In lands far to the West, beyond the shores of this country, there were strange foreign youkai who specialized in deforming normal humans, crushing their limbs, distorting their features and selling them to either decadent Ningens as pets or to demons who, in the pursuit of esoteric knowledge, experimented on these pitiable creatures. He had heard tales of how his lord had traveled to these faraway lands, learning their knowledge and customs. Perhaps, he had picked up a few eccentricities from the foreign youkai.

"Have our spies uncovered the name of the one who is behind this current insurrection?" The demon lord returned to his seat.

"Unfortunately, my lord, all of the spies we have sent to the slave market to shadow the enemy's agents never made it back alive," sighed the mayor. "I humbly apologise for their failure and will see to this matter myself."

The demon lord tilted his head a little, almost as if to nod his approval of Matsumoto's actions. However, he stopped short.

"This Sesshoumaru will go with you to the slave market. I wish to uncover the identity of the villain myself."

* * *

The days passed like a haze for Sachiko. She gave up trying to figure out how many days it was since she woke up in this horrible nightmare. Although none of the girls spoke to her, she managed to eavesdrop on some of their whispered conversations. From what she could gather, this place, whatever it was, was a replica of the feudal times where warring lords fought each other. Even the syntax of the language these women spoke seemed to fit perfectly within the historical feudal era. At first, Sachiko wondered if this was some kind of big hoax, but eventually came to the conclusion that she had either traveled back in time or slipped into a parallel dimension.

The notion of parallel worlds was not really foreign to her, nor was the notion of time travel. She wasn't always a hooker plying the seedy Tokyo streets. Once, a long time ago, she had gone to school and had an education. That was before she fell in love with a man whom she married at a very young age, only to find out that he was a wife-beater and a bum. He disappeared after two years and left her with a mountain of gambling debts that mostly consisted of money borrowed from one of the yakuza gangs. Unable to get a good job because she lacked academic qualifications, she struck a deal with the gang and they let her pay off the debts working the streets.

The years had taken their toll on her, even though she avoided smoking and drinking too much, two very common vices that ladies in her profession tend to develop. She was already 28 and it seemed that life had nothing more to offer. Her only consolations were that she didn't have children and she still wanted to live, no matter how bad things were. However, things took a turn for the worse in the last few months. She was sick for quite awhile and didn't manage to make enough to pay off the gang. Some of them had come by her place to demand payment, but having no cash to pay them, she did the only thing she could do… run.

But all her running brought her into an even bigger nightmare – this horrid reality that she could find no way to escape. She wanted to cry, but she had done all her crying days ago. Escape was the only thing she could think of.

Sachiko felt the cart grind to a halt. Peeking through the bars, the petite woman found that they were now behind an old-fashioned two-story house in what appeared to be a feudal town. Although it was evening and the sun was low in the sky, she could see the red-faced demon calling out two human-looking servants who heaved the cage off the cart with inhuman strength. She watched as they were all hauled through a large door into an almost dark room that had a doorway which was covered by a curtain of sorts. Beyond the curtain were bright lights and noises which Sachiko didn't like.

Then the red-faced demon came in and opened the wooden cage door. He dragged out a helpless girl and marched her towards the curtained door. Although the curtain lifted for the fraction of a second, Sachiko saw that the doorway led to a low stage and beyond the stage were demons of every shape and form. A roar of approval signaled the beginning of what she guessed, was some kind of auction. She heard screams from the girl and felt a cold fear develop in the pit of her stomach.

The auction proceeded quickly. One by one the girls were dragged from the cage. Some had attempted to struggle, but the red-faced demon slapped them into submission. Finally, when there was no one else left, the red-faced demon unlocked the cage door for the last time and hauled the poor woman out by a chain which he had fixed to a collar on her neck. He pulled her up roughly and hitched up her skirts to inspect her legs. Sachiko gave a small shriek when he smiled and muttered something to the extent of "good… good… all healed…"

He then shoved her so that she fell kneeling on the low stage and almost topped over into the arms of a serpentine youkai who flicked his forked tongue in her face. Then she reeled backwards quickly as the red-faced demon yanked at the chain attached to her collar.

"Noble lords and good demons, I present to you the finest slave in my current collection," he tore open her yukata, exposing a perfectly-shaped breast and creamy skin. "Note the delicate features and ivory skin of this farm wench. A rarity in this turbulent age. A jewel that will provide her lucky owner with endless pleasure… or pain… As you so desire… " he smiled slyly, "The bidding starts at 50 copper pieces!"

"60!"

"Isn't she a little …old?" a youkai with exceedingly large eyes squinted at her.

"And she has been with men…. Many men," a wolf-like demon sniffed the air in her direction.

"For that price, I'd expect the slave to be a virgin at the least," commented another.

There was a bit of a commotion from the floor as the demons that gathered started discussing the price. Seizing the opportunity, Sachiko stomped down hard on the foot of the red-faced demon and bolted forward as soon as pain forced him to let go of her chain. She easily jumped off the low stage and made a dash for the door at the back. In her haste as she made her sprint towards freedom, she crashed into a tall person wearing dull, blue clothes and agasa-likehatthat effectively hid his face. The forward momentum caused her to knock the person backwards as her head landed on his chest.

Tilting her head upwards, her dark eyes met with pools of gold set into a handsome face in the shadow of the hat that had stripes and a crescent moon tattooed on the forehead above those wonderful eyes.

A human!

Sachiko screamed, "Help me! Help me please!"

The man quickly got up and pushed her off. He tilted his hat low, as if to hide his features from onlookers.

"Help! HEL—"

She felt something hit the back of her head and her whole world turned black.

* * *

Two quiet shadows slipped into a small, hidden doorway into the mayor's mansion. They slid quietly across the courtyard till they reached sliding door that led to Matsumoto's private chambers. Once inside, both "men" took off their straw hats to reveal a demon with strange blue hair and another with silvery white hair and golden eyes.

"My lord," Matsumoto bowed low. "I apologise for my carelessness at the slave market. You could have been recognized."

"There is no need for apology Matsumoto, the fault lies not with you."

"I thank you Lord Sesshoumaru for showing graciousness and magnanimity towards this humble servant," He bowed again, then got up and called a servant to fix some tea for both of them.

"Fortune smiled upon us tonight," the golden-eyed demon remarked. "We now know who Lord Azumamaro's main agent is in Furuzawa."

"Indeed, I would have never suspected ……"

Before Matsumoto could finish his comment, a quick pattering of feet and a familiar high-pitched voice interrupted their conversation.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Sesshoumaru-sama! R- Rin is missing!"

* * *

**Author's Note:** _I always found it strange that the anime had a fancily-dressed demon like Sesshoumaru wandering around in the wilderness like a vagabond without a home. I mean, his clothes were badly torn up once when he fought Inuyasha and ended up meeting Rin in the forest. How on earth does he get a fresh change of clothes and where does he get Ah-Uh and the saddle? For that matter, where does Rin get her change of clothes?_

_I really don't think some village tailor could make the kind of attire that he wears._

_Well, upon reading the manga I noticed that Sesshoumaru does make mention of a home somewhere in book 14. His wandering tendencies were also explained by Jaken in the anime during his conversation with Rin by the fireside where the explains to the little girl that the demon lord travels around to far away places to increase his own knowledge so that he will one day be the most powerful demon of all._

_We know that by this time, foreign imports had reached Japanese soil. In fact, the soldiers who faced the Shinchinnintai in the anime were armed with rifles. _

_Now, if Sesshoumaru had a home and servants, what did the servants feel about this human child that suddenly appeared among them? How would they treat her? As I was considering this angle, I remembered reading about a legendary group of wanderers who abducted children and purposely deformed them for the sake of selling them off as curios and freaks. As repugnant as it may be, this practice of deforming children and humans has actually been well-recorded. For instance, rich Roman ladies would assemble troupes of dwarfs or other odd-looking humans much like how we assemble trading cards today. Unfortunately, as demand outstripped supply, some traders had to turn normal human beings into something other than human to meet with the demand._

_I assumed that being a well-travelled individual, Sesshoumaru may have come across some of these practices. Perhaps some of his servants and henchmen might be privy to some of the knowledge that he brought back from his journeys. They could then rationalise Rin's presence as a curious pet for their master, and Sesshoumaru's behaviour towards her as nothing more than some minor eccentricity he had picked up on his travels. _


	3. The Grey Demon

_Disclaimer: I don't own "Inuyasha"._

_Some of you might be wondering why I don't just get to the main theme of this story. Well, the reason is simple. I believe a great deal in using words to create a world/setting and characters that aren't just two-dimensional cardboard puppets in a puppet-show. They have to be realistic enough to actually have agendas and motives and be able to act intelligently. Only then can readers suspend their disbelief long enough to feel that the story is somehow plausible. _

_A Word of Warning to Sensitive Readers:  
Contains gory scenes and a lemon. _

_Word Translations:_

_Youkai – demon  
__Taiyoukai – great demon  
__Inu-youkai – dog demon  
__Hanyou – half-demon  
Ningen – human_

* * *

The entire Matsumoto house was turned upside down as every available manservant went around with lanterns looking for Rin. Several inu-youkai joined in the hunt, using their keen sense of smell to see if they could detect the little girl's whereabouts. They tracked her scent from her room to the adjoining garden and then followed it to a wall, where it abruptly disappeared. Going over the wall, they tried to pick up her scent from there, but were unable to detect even a whiff of her unique odour.

Despite his terrible anxiety, Sesshoumaru maintained his clam demeanor. It would be inappropriate for him to run around sniffing the ground like a common hound dog. He had already surveyed his ward's room and the garden. He knew that whatever being or creature made off with Rin was also a master at disguising its own scent.

As the hours wore on, the taiyoukai got angrier and angrier as the searchers turned up nothing. Finally, he turned on the one person whom he could blame.

"Ja—ken…"

* * *

Sachiko awoke to a dull pain at the back of her head. She wondered if the blow had caused a concussion of sorts. However, the pain soon subsided and she opened her eyes. A scream nearly erupted from her mouth when she saw before her, the gutted torsos of men and women hanging on large meat hooks that dipped down from the ceiling. Accompanying the torsos were an assortment of disarticulated arms, legs, thighs, calves and even heads whose purple tongues hung limply from swollen mouths.

Biting her lip, she suppressed her urge to scream. Sachiko reckoned that any hysterical behaviour on her part would end her miserable existence earlier. She glanced downwards at her now naked body and then upwards and realised that her legs and hands were tied tightly and that she was hanging on a similar meat hook. Instead of the hook piercing some part of her body, she hung from the rope that tied her hands together.

Looking to her sides, she spotted a small door that seemed to be the only exit from this chamber of horrors. It was at this point when she noticed a little girl who was similarly tied, hanging from another hook. The girl was dripping wet and some strange, strong-smelling herbal paste was smeared over her entire body. As she wondered whether the little girl was dead or alive, she heard a gasp coming from the child.

The child screamed when she opened her eyes and then started yelling, "Help Sesshoumaru-sama! Help!"

Almost immediately, the small door opened, and the most hideous demon that Sachiko had ever seen half-limped and half-waddled through the door. This was a monster with graying skin, a generous assortment of sores and boils and rounds of fat around his waist, arms and legs. He walked with a distinct limp and had fangs that were chipped and stained.

Nonchalantly, he took a rag and tied a gag around the little girl's mouth, making sure that the yelling was reduced to soft "mmmmmmm"s. Then he brought a bucket of warm water and splashed its contents on Sachiko. He did this a few times, before he brought out a clean rag and began washing the dirt and grime off her hanging body, almost as though he was preparing an animal for the slaughter

"What are you doing?"

There was no answer.

"What are you doing?" a little louder now.

The ugly demon took another rag and attempted to gag the woman, but was interrupted by a shrill female voice from outside.

"Gurekaibutsu!"

The demon lumbered out to face a beautiful demoness in an elegant black kimono printed with red flowers. From where she hung, Sachiko could see an intense desire fill the monster's eyes. Unfortunately, in his unsteady lumbering Gurekaibutsu moved too close to the demoness and in response she rapped him sharply on the head with her fan, shouting, "Just WHO do you think you ARE? Never ever lay your filthy hands on me monster! Remember that!"

Gurekaibutsu cringed in pain and humiliation as the demoness circled around him.

"In 3 days, you are to prepare that special "dish" we talked about. If our guest somehow figures out, who it is that he is eating, his lordship will have your head on a pike!"

"Now go! Get on with your work!" the demoness glided away with a haughty expression on her face.

His head hanging low Gurekaibutsu stopped by the door to wipe away a tear before he entered his gruesome little world.

"Gurekaibutsu-san."

The hideous demon looked around, trying to figure out where the sound came from.

"Gurekaibutsu-san," it was a sweet voice. "Over here please."

The demon moved cautiously towards the source of the voice. He stopped before Sachiko who dipped her voice huskily, "Come closer please, I won't hurt you, I promise."

The demon approached her carefully.

"I'm feeling very cold, Gurekaibutsu-san. Please hold me in your arms?"

Suddenly the ugly demon snarled angrily and turned away quickly. He seemed to be looking for something to gag her with.

"Please, Gurekaibutsu-san. Please hold me, I beg of you. I can do nothing to hurt you, you know that… " she pleaded. "If you find holding me distasteful, then you can silence me after that."

The ugly demon looked up from his search. It was true. She couldn't do anything to him bound up like that. He moved over and looked at her for the longest time. Then he lifted her gently off her hook, took a seat on a nearby bench and put her on his lap, where she curled up against his chest and placed her head on his shoulder. At first, he didn't quite know what to make of it. Then, his huge arms wrapped themselves awkwardly around the petite woman.

After a few minutes, Sachiko began to move, ever so slightly, rubbing her naked hips on his crotch. The ugly demon tensed for a second and then shoved her roughly aside.

"W- w- what a-a-are y-y-you d-doing?" He was clearly stunned by her behaviour.

"You have strong arms," she smiled.

"Y-you a-are m-m-meat!" he stuttered, his voice was shaking badly. He tried to pick up a cleaver but was unable to grasp the handle properly in his trembling hands.

Sachiko let a few tears fall from her eyes. "Please don't deny me, Gurekaibutsu-san… Let me feel the warmth of a man one last time before I die," she looked up into his face with large, watery eyes and smiled meaningfully.

Gurekaibutsu's highly distorted features displayed an expression of shock, pity and confusion. He made guttural noises in his throat that indicated his discomfort.

"Gurekaibutsu–san?"

A desperate roar sounded from the lips of the grey-skinned demon as he brought the cleaver down. Sachiko let out a small scream and ducked her head when she saw the flashing blade arc towards her. After a few moments, she looked up again and saw the quivering knife imbedded on a wooden chopping board beside her trembling head. The hideous demon was now pulling out something from behind the assortment of dismembered limbs. He hauled a limbless torso with an attached head onto the chopping board. From where she sat, bound hand and foot, Sachiko saw the torso's chest move up and down. The poor wretch was still alive!

Sachiko felt her stomach turn. She almost threw up but restrained herself from doing so. She tried closing her eyes, but the pained groans from the limbless man, who strained to scream through his gag, caused her to watch in terror. Expertly, Gurekaibutsu used his knives to cut thin slices off the side of the man's chest. He then carefully arranged the slices elegantly on a bed of lettuce before cleaning up the limbless man and shoving him back behind the dismembered limbs.

Paralyzed by fear, Sachiko hung like a rag doll from the arms of the grey-skinned demon as he carefully put her back on her meat hook. She didn't even notice that the little girl was staring wide-eyed at her.

"B-b- back l-l-later…" stuttered the demon, who gently stroked her bare leg before leaving with the plate of human flesh in his hand.

* * *

It was already the second day, but there was still no trace of the missing Rin. Despite the conflict of priorities that was building up inside of him, Sesshoumaru was forced to redirect his agents to deal with the conflict was about to explode over Furuzawa. Since uncovering the identity of Lord Azumamaro's main agent in Furuzawa, Matsumoto's spies were able to unearth more conspirators who were planning an insurrection to snatch the prosperous border town away from the taiyoukai's hold. Time was of the essence as both he and Matsumoto made plans to round up all the conspirators in one fell swoop.

"By tomorrow night, we'll weed out all those who have decided to rebel against your rule, my lord…" said the mayor as he unfolded a map of the town and pointed out the locations where their troops would arrest the rebels.

Before he could continue, a servant announced the arrival of a letter brought by a courier. Matsumoto received the letter and opened it. "My lord, it seems the enemy may have gotten wind of our plans…"

Sesshoumaru read the letter casually. "They may or may not have. Perhaps they are just testing us. Nevertheless, we will attend Lady Kochiyo's feast…"

"Begging your pardon, Lord Sesshoumaru," the mayor bowed his head as he spoke. "But I fear you might be walking into a den of ready assassins. I beg of you to reconsider your decision."

His eyes narrowed to slits as he glanced at the mayor, "This Sesshoumaru will engage Lady Kochiyo in whatever 'game' she has planned… to refuse now will cause the enemy to suspect us, if they haven't already."

Although he disagreed, Matsumoto bowed his assent regarding his lord's decision.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!"

Matsumoto rolled his eyes. Not ANOTHER interruption!

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" the little toad that was his lord's steward had dashed down the hallway screeching to a halt at the doorway to the meeting room. Matsumoto frowned at this unseemly behaviour, but held his tongue.

"Yes, Jaken," clearly the demon lord was not amused.

"Your bro—I mean the wretched hanyou, Inuyasha, and his group have just entered Furuzawa!" the toad gasped.

Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth quietly. This was just great. Now he had to quell the insurrection, find Rin AND avoid his foolhardy half-brother and that wretched miko all that the same time. Could his luck get any worse.

* * *

Sachiko dumbly stared at the corner where the limbless man was stored. The shock of what she saw still hadn't quite faded from her mind. Just then, the door crashed open and Gurezaibutsu lumbered in quickly. Tears were streaming freely down his one good eye, as the other was newly blackened by a cruel fist. His clothes were torn in areas where a whip had lashed his shoulders mercilessly. He hurried to his assortment of knives, shaking in anger and grief as he looked for his sharpest knife.

His breathing was ragged as he went over to Sachiko, hefted her roughly off the hook and shoved her onto the grimy floor. Then, grabbing a wicked-looking knife, he grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled back her head so that her neck was exposed. Tears sprang to the woman's eyes and she gave him a look of sadness and desperation.

"Please…" Sachiko cried. But before she could say '…don't kill me!' she noticed that the knife was shaking in his unsteady hands. Releasing her hair for a moment, he sunk into the wooden bench that stood beside the bloodied wooden chopping board and started to cry. Still holding onto the sharp knife, he let it slide to one side, as though he were trying to make up his mind. From her position on the grimy floor, Sachiko could feel huge droplets of tears fall on her back. Despite her terror, her will to survive overpowered her fear. Gathering all the courage she had, she wriggled up towards one of Gurekaitsu's legs and rubbed it gently with her bare body.

"Please don't cry," she whispered.

It took a few moments, but the weeping gradually subsided. "T-t-they b-beat m-me. Th-they s-s-said th-the m-meat w-wa-as b-bad." he whimpered, looking down at her. "B-b-but t-t-hey d-d-don't k-know i-it wa-wasn't y-you."

"Thank you." She whispered and began to rub the place between his legs softly with her cheek and shoulder. Gurekaibutsu shuddered as his manhood started to rise and the knife fell from his trembling fingers. He tried to get up but the petite woman stopped him.

"Don't be afraid, Gurekaibutsu-san," she crooned. "Show it to me."

Hesitantly, the demon lowered his pants to reveal his throbbing manhood. Steeling herself for what she hoped was the best performance of her life; Sachiko leaned forward and allowed her tongue to travel from the moist tip all the way up his length towards the mounds of fat that protruded from his belly. Gurekaibutsu gasped and moaned as she took his arousal in her mouth and rolled it around her tongue and lips, expertly licking and sucking it in its most sensitive places. His hips involuntarily moved, thrusting his length slightly deeper into her mouth. Opening up her mouth so she could take in more of his arousal, she used her tongue and the sucking motion created by her small lips to move it in and out of her mouth, nipping it ever so gently between her teeth.

The pleasure was so intense at one point; Gurekaibutsu's hips started bucking violently, pulling his length out of her mouth and spilling his seed all over her face and shoulders. Sachiko coughed as some of the warm liquid entered her nose and mouth. After a few seconds, she felt a pair of strong arms lift her up and wipe her face with a wet cloth. For the first time since she came here, she saw that the hideous demon was smiling.

"T-th-they w-w-on't h-have y-y-ou," he held her tightly in his arms and murmured into her ear. "T-th-they th-th-ink y-y-you d-d-died… "

"So I won't be made into that "special" dish?"

Gurekaibutsu laughed softly, "T-th-at's th-the l-l-little g-g-irl."

* * *

Hi Everyone,

Thank you all for your reviews, I really appreciate all your comments, because they help me to understand how you all see the story. Please continue to post. All views are welcome.


	4. Escaping The Slaughterhouse

_Disclaimer: I don't own "Inuyasha"._

_A Word of Warning to Sensitive Readers:  
__Contains gory scenes and a lemon. _

_Word Translations:_

_Youkai – demon  
__Taiyoukai – great demon  
__Hanyou – half-demon  
Ningen – human  
__Kami – deity_

* * *

The first thing they noticed was the horrified stare that almost all the residents of Furuzawa openly displayed. Housewives and gossips pointed at Kagome's short skirt and exposed legs, as they whispered quietly among themselves. A matronly lady who ran a clothing shop even came up to the group and pushed a yukata into the schoolgirl's hands before retreating quickly without saying so much as a word. Although the residents of the town were offended by what they saw, they didn't raise much of a protest because of the other incredible sight that walked right beside the girl.

Dressed in bright red with white hair and dog-like ears, Inuyasha's left hand gripped the sheath of his sword tightly as he glanced around, daring anyone to challenge them.

"Uh, I think we should try to find lodging as soon as possible," Miroku observed as the general hostility grew.

"Psst!"

The group turned to see a little old man approaching them quietly out of a narrow alley. "Come with me please," he said.

Although they didn't like the idea of ducking into an alley single-file, it was a much better prospect than facing a street full of annoyed people. The old man led the entire group through a maze of back alley streets before they finally arrived at a shabby, two-storey house. Ushering them inside quickly, he showed them into a threadbare tatami mat room and poured tea before explaining himself.

"I shall be direct with you," the old man said as he poured out the steaming tea. "The thing is, I need your help. I have heard from my relatives in the South of a group of demon exterminators that is led by a demon with white hair and dog-like ears."

"Am I leading this grou—"

Everyone shushed Inuyasha who seemed bewildered by the observation.

"My relatives tell me that you are powerful people and that you can kill any demon that you meet."

"Keh! That's right! I've dueled with the best of them!" Inuyasha jumped up exclaiming.

"I am glad to hear that," the old man smiled. "I have a young granddaughter who has been captured by this awful demoness. The monster calls herself Kochiyo and she pretends to be human. She runs a house of pleasure…"

Sango glared at the monk, "Don't get any ideas!"

The old man smiled, but sadly. "It's youkai only. The monster pretends to be a noble lady who frequently throws parties where demons from far and wide are invited. They all look human, until you fight them… I suppose."

"You know, we should do our own investigations first…" Sango remarked.

"Please help me noble heroes!" the old man bowed with his head to the ground. "My granddaughter is the only one I have left in this world! She's a young and innocent virgin and I'm afraid…"

As soon as the monk's ears picked up the words "young", "innocent" and "virgin" he leapt to his feet, "Fear not old man! For I, Miroku the monk, will save your young and pretty granddaughter!"

"I'm going with you." Sango's eyes were drilling holes into the monk's back.

"We'll all go," Kagome cheerily added.

"I don't see how any of this has to do with collecting jewel shards…" the hanyou complained under his breath.

* * *

For the first time in many days, Sachiko felt herself lying on something soft. Instinctively, she tried raising her arms to stretch, but found that she could not move them. It took her a moment to realise that she was still bound hand and foot, lying on a pile of sacks with a torn sheet covering her naked body. Raising herself up to look around, she soon met the wide-eyed stare of the little girl.

'Gaarrrahhhh!' she forgot all about the child! Sachiko remembered the events of last night and blushed a deep red. She felt a twinge of guilt when she thought about how her actions had likely taken away the child's innocence. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again and looked away.

The door opened a few moments later and Gurekaibutsu lumbered in. He moved over to the woman, bent down and stroked her hair, almost as though she was a beloved pet. She leaned upwards and kissed his lips. The soft sensation of kissing must have been quite alien for the grey-skinned demon, for there was a look of surprise on his face when he touched the place where she kissed.

"Were you never kissed before?"

The demon shook his head.

"Would you like another one?"

Almost as though he was in a trance, Gurhekaibutsu nodded. Sachiko bent towards him and kissed his twisted lips. Flicking her tongue over his mouth she slowly got him to open his lips before thrusting her tongue into his mouth, allowing it to teasingly play with his. As this new sensation sent tingles through his mouth down into his spine, he picked her up in his arms and pressed her closely against his blood-stained clothes.

He was gasping for air when she finally released his lips. Nuzzling his ear softly, she whispered, "I can show you more if you untie me."

"No."

"Please Gurekaibutsu-san, my wrists are hurting," she gazed into his eyes, pouting.

The demon untied her hands from behind her back and holding them firmly, massaged her wrists before retying her hands in front of her.

"T-To-Tonight," he smiled hideously. "S-s-show Gu-gurekaibutsu."

Sachiko forced a smile on her face that disappeared as soon as the demon lumbered off to his daily duties. Once she was alone, she used whatever little of her fingers that stuck out of the skillfully tied ropes to try and undo the cord that bound her ankles together. She worked at it for an hour, but was unable to loosen the bonds which were tied too tightly. Cursing angrily, she looked up and saw the little girl staring at what she was doing.

"We'll get out of this, somehow," she said.

The little girl just stared at her and made some unintelligible noises through her gag. She nodded towards a table just in front of her. Sachiko followed the girl's gaze and saw an assortment of knives on the table. Supporting herself against a shelf that was cluttered with human limbs, she managed to force herself into a standing position. Then, leaning on various objects in the slaughterhouse, she slowly pulled herself towards the table of knives. She was able to make her way gradually towards her goal until the last few feet, which consisted of an open space with nothing for her to lean on.

Carefully steadying herself, she slowly let go of her supports. The petite woman found that by carefully flexing her toes and shifting her heel, she was able to inch slowly across the open area. Although hopping would have definitely been faster, she could not do so because her feet were slightly swollen from being tied so tightly and the floor beneath was slippery from the blood and other fluids that covered it.

Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, she got close enough to reach out and touch the handle of a knife with her fingertips. However, before she could get any closer, the sound of the door opening caused her to panic and lose her balance. She fell on the slippery floor, bringing a few of the knives down with her.

Alerted by the clatter of falling knives, the grey demon dropped the freshly slaughtered human remains that he was carrying and rushed through the floor. Even from where she lay, Sachiko could see fury and disappointment welling up in the monster's eyes. He picked her up and roughly dumped her onto the pile of sacks. Then, searching around the odds and ends that lay around the slaughterhouse, he found a strong rope, from which he made a noose. Holding the struggling woman down, he forced it around her neck and secured the other end in an iron ring that was attached to a nearby wall.

Although he said nothing to her, a throaty rumble from the demon signed his displeasure. She watched as he sharpened one of his knives before pulling the little girl off her meat hook.

"Stop!" Sachiko could see the fear in the little girl's eyes. "Please don't kill her, Gurekaibutsu-san."

Ignoring her pleas, he picked up a bucket of liquid and splashed it on the little girl before proceeding to rub a fragrant herbal mixture into her skin.

"Please Gurekaibutsu-san; can't you serve them some other type of meat?"

"No," he was growling angrily now.

"Please save her too! I know you can…"

"No!"

"Please Gurekaibutsu! Please don't do this! I believe in you! Please don't be a monster! I lo-…."

With a swift motion that caught even Sachiko by surprise, the grey demon was standing over her in an instant and with his huge hand, slapped her across the face. She instantly blacked out from the force of the blow and lay on the heap of sacks like a broken doll.

The grey demon froze momentarily when he saw the bruise that was starting to form on her cheek. He felt her neck for a pause and heaved a sigh of relief as one tear slid down his eye. She was going to say it, and he had to stop her before the words came out of her mouth. They would burn his ears and break his heart. For a brief moment last night, he had allowed some hope to flutter into his heart, but he knew deep down, it was too good to be true. She was definitely different from all the women who shrunk away screaming when he approached them, but like every female he had ever known, she too wanted to get away from him.

He growled. She was his and he would never allow her to escape him.

It was late at night when Sachiko opened her eyelids. In the dim light, she saw the grey demon sitting hunched over on the small wooden bench, drinking some kind of strong liquor from a large pottery jar. Struggling to lift herself up despite the dull pain that throbbed in her cheek, she sighed in relief when she saw the little girl, who was now back on the hook, blinking and staring in her direction. The sound of her sigh made the demon get up and move towards her. Settling down on the pile beside her, he pulled her into his lap and used a damp cloth to dab at the large bruise that formed on her face.

"N-no m-more r-run-running a-a-away," he muttered, as he gently cleaned her face.

She nuzzled his neck in response. "I'm sorry, Gurekaibutsu-san. I won't try to run again…"

She heard what sounded like a cynical snort from the demon, but he continued caressing her face. She began nibbling his neck and ear, feeling his body respond with shudders of delight. The thing between his legs grew hard and started to rise. Then she remembered.

Stopping for a moment, she murmured in his ear, "Can you blindfold the girl? I don't like how she is staring at us."

The demon looked over her shoulder and saw the discomforting, wide-eyed stare of the child. He got up and tied a rag around the child's eyes before returning to the pile. He gathered Sachiko up in his huge arms and kissed her on the lips, letting his tongue slide into her mouth to play with hers in the same way that she had shown him earlier on. He smiled internally when he felt her jerk in surprise as her body and lips involuntarily responded to his open-mouthed kiss.

It seemed the grey demon was a fast learner. Sachiko cringed on the inside when his kiss sent waves of desire through her body, she resisted the urge to push him aside and forcibly willed herself to focus on the task ahead. Sensing his erection poking her thigh, she whispered teasingly in his ear, "You have to untie me if you want to feel what I can show you…"

There was a slight rumble from the grey demon, before he untied her feet with a flick of his fingers. As her legs parted and straddled his thigh, she held out her bound hands in his direction.

"N-no n-need f-for h-h-hands," he snarled.

"But—"

"No!"

Gently lifting her off his thigh, he sat up and stripped off his pants. Then pulling her towards him, he tried to direct her head towards his manhood.

"No no," she laughed. "Lift me up onto your lap."

As he hoisted her up, she parted her legs and allowed her smooth calves to straddle his thighs.

"Lean back." She gently pushed him down onto the sacks. Then, using her bound hands to support herself on his broad chest, she lifted her hips and pushed downwards, allowing his arousal to penetrate her soft, wet folds.

They both moaned as her muscles clenched his length tightly. The petite woman continued pushing downwards until she engulfed his entire manhood, and then started to move her hips rhythmically. Slow at first, allowing his erection slide in and out of her folds. Then she started to wriggle and grind her mound against the skin of his groin, moving in a hypnotic manner so that his length could fully explore her inner moistness.

Groans of pleasure erupted from both their mouths as Gurekaibutsu's hips started to buckle and move in rhythm to Sachiko's sensuous dance. She quickened her pace a little and bent downwards, kissing his chest, working her way up to his neck, where his veins were now showing, raised high by the blood pumping through his body.

As the pleasure heightened, he started to roar, his neck tensed as his veins now became visible through the folds of flesh. Sachiko looped her arms around his head and let them fall around his shoulders before she opened her mouth. Then suddenly, she bit down hard on his jugular vein! The scream of pain from her victim was deafening, but she bit harder, determined to sever his vein. Blood was now spurting everywhere as the demon struggled to get the woman off his chest. However, the desperate woman dug her elbows into the hollows of his shoulders using her entire body weight to keep him from getting up.

Although a deceptively harmless thing, the human mouth and jaws are able to exert 200lbs of pressure, enough to crush veins and small bones. Fueled by the adrenaline that was now coursing through her bloodstream, the woman's grip was like iron. She held onto him with all her might, his chipped claws raking her back, making blooded lines all along her smooth skin. Then, he stopped moving.

Sachiko held on until she was sure he was completely still. Then she let go and rolled to the side where she struggled to stand despite the pain. Making her way quickly to the knives, she sawed off the rope binding her hands and then picked up the biggest, sharpest knife she could find. Walking towards the now still Gurekaibutsu, she stabbed the knife downwards, into his neck moving and cutting so as to detach his head from his body.

She didn't know what demons could do, but she wasn't going to take the chance of him getting up later. As she walked back to the table, she cursed silently when she saw that the hurriedly tied-blindfold had slipped from the girl's eyes. There was no way of knowing how much the child had actually seen! Hanging her head in shame, Sachiko lifted the child off the meat hook and undid the rope that bound her hands and feet together. Once she was free, the child, still staring in wide-eyed terror, backed away from the blood-covered woman

Tears sprang to her eyes as she reached out towards the cowering child, "Come on, I won't hurt you."

However, the child was unable to move, perhaps frozen in terror at what she had seen. As the tears flowed down her eyes, Sachiko limped painfully towards the door and carefully peeked out. From the shadows of a slightly ajar door, she saw a small courtyard and a cluster of buildings that looked like storehouses. Suddenly, she heard the sound of a nearby explosion, and a section of wall that fenced up the little courtyard fell down. Holding the knife tightly in one hand, she forced herself to move out so she could get a better view of what was happening.

Beyond the opening in the wall, she saw a large garden, where a strange white-haired being clothed in a red suit was fighting a huge snake-like demon. The stranger in red was wielding a huge sword and was accompanied by a monk, a woman with a huge boomerang and a schoolgirl who was using a bow.

Sachiko's eyes widened when she saw the schoolgirl. Here was something at last that she recognized in this crazy demon-infested world. The petite woman wanted to run over and grab hold of the girl, ask her what was going on and perhaps how to get out of this endless nightmare. However, the giant snake opened its mouth and clouds of almost opaque purple gas rushed out. The purple clouds enveloped the warrior in red and his companions. Sachiko heard coughing and the sound of falling bodies. Even from where she was standing, she could smell the acid-like odour of the gas clouds which made her cough.

Unfortunately, the sound of her coughing alerted the giant snake demon. Uncoiling swiftly it was in front of Sachiko in a second. Screaming in terror, the frightened woman turned and ran into the small courtyard she had originally emerged from. As she turned around, the petite woman saw that the sound of combat had drawn the little girl out of the house.

At that moment, something instinctive woke up inside Sachiko, filling her blood with fire. She no longer felt the blood loss and pain that the Gurekaibutsu inflicted on her as sped towards the child. Running faster than she had ever done in her life, Sachiko sped past the child and lifted the girl up with a single sweep of her arm, before thundering into the maze of storehouses that went around the small courtyard.

The snake demon, or rather, demoness was furious to see that this strange, naked Ningen female had run into her storehouses. Because she was currently too large to squeeze through the small doorways, she had to damage the roof of her own property to get to her prey. She paused for a second before plunging her head through the fragile wooden roofs. She easily spotted the pair inside a storehouse filled with barrels. Trapped like animals, all she had to do was open her mouth and let her poison miasma roll forth.

Then, she saw something that few youkai had ever seen. The strange Ningen female, who was encrusted with dried blood, sprang up like a full-blooded demon, first leaping up on a small barrel, and using the momentum created, jumped up to her nose and onto her face. It only took a second before she saw the knife come down; and then there was a squishy sensation as one of her eyes went black.

The demoness screamed in pain, lifting her head suddenly out of the storehouse. She vaguely heard the Ningen shout the word "Run!" The strange woman was still riding on her nose, possibly holding onto the knife that was now embedded in her eye.

'WHAT AM I DOING!' The thought passed fleetingly through Sachiko as she clung onto the knife for dear life. It would have been easier for her to hide behind the barrels and scream, but when she saw the snake demon opening its mouth, she knew she would succumb to the purple clouds that were about to emerge. So she took the only logical action available. Or did she? She was confused. Her actions in the previous days and on this strange, moonlit night were almost alien to her. The Sachiko Taji she remembered would have likely curled up and died under Gurekaibutsu's cleaver. Yet, here she was, alive and taking on a giant demon.

As the huge snake tossed its head around, Sachiko felt her hands loosening its grip around the handle of the knife. She screamed as her hands lost their grip and she fell. She felt her back hit the body of the snake and slide downwards. As the raw and ragged claw wounds rubbed against the scales of the snake, a horrible scream of pain erupted from her mouth. However, it was drowned out by a roar from the giant snake as it split neatly in half.

Now, lying still and unable to move because of the pain and the amount of blood that she had lost, Sachiko looked up from the serpent's motionless coils at the full moon. It was a good night to die. As she slipped off into blissful unconsciousness, she saw what could only be a dying man's vision. A tall kami with silvery hair floated down from heaven. As his feet touched the giant coils, she saw a face that was both divine and familiar at the same time.

Was this an angel? Sachiko smiled. If all of heaven only consisted of the bliss she felt when looking into his golden eyes, her soul would rest contented forever.

**

* * *

**

**Author's Note: **_I did a bit of reading regarding the strength and capabilities of the human body. It was really surprising to find out that the human jaw could actually exert 200 lbs of pressure. Although it is much less than a crocodile's jaws for instance, that force alone is enough to crush bone. _

_Regarding Sachiko's strength and speed, it was inspired in part by my reading up on the amazing things that a human body is capable of when caught in a glitch. In a famous case in 1942 a navel officer on an armed merchant ship actually managed to wrench a 4 foot high safe made of cast iron that was bolted down onto the deck deep inside the ship and carry it up to the top deck, when he thought they were being attacked. He was an intensely patriotic individual and the safe contained documents which he was responsible for. It took 4 men to carry that same safe back later, and not a single one of them could lift it on his own._

_Why the human body is capable of such amazing feats of strength is still a mystery. Perhaps it is adrenaline running through the blood. Or perhaps it is something else. Why it doesn't always happen when people are caught in a desperate situation is also a complete mystery. Perhaps it is triggered by some kind of strong emotion, like love or even the desperate desire to save one's life. Whatever it might be, when it happens, it often becomes the subject of legends and stories that are told again and again perhaps to remind ourselves that were don't know everything there is to know, and that there is indeed something special inside each and every human being._

**Answers to Reviewers:**

**1kenshinlover **– Glad you like the stories and the information that I added in the "Author's Note" section. I felt it would help to explain some of what I have written.

Regarding how Sachiko handled the grey demon. Well, I don't think she acted in that manner because of her profession. It is likely that another woman with a similar background might end up screaming her head off the moment she opens her eyes. For her, it was more a matter of self preservation first and foremost, and perhaps a touch of pity for Gurekaibutsu did come in later.

It was also an attempt by me to create a female character that is rational, intelligent, perhaps a tad manipulative, but who attempts to balance it all off with her other softer traits. I haven't seen a complex female character in manga or stories for a very long time and I would like to take up the challenge of creating one for this particular story. : )

**Chiaztolite** – Actually, I didn't quite expect the gore myself. I wrote this story as an experiment to see if I could do a credible and interesting erotic tale. I seldom write lemons and explicit violence or gore, so it really surprises me that the chapter turned out as well as it did.

**Yukino **– After I read your comment, I re-read my previous chapter a couple of times to see if I had somehow made the mistake of saying that Rin had died. I'm curious as to how you came by that conclusion.


	5. The Silver 'Angel'

_Disclaimer: I don't own "Inuyasha"._

_I didn't quite have the time to update this and other stories 'cos of some work that crept up recently and a rather bab flu that I caught last week. However, I've decided to put this up as a sort of filler before I launch into the next part of this story._

_Word Translations:_

_Youkai – demon  
__Taiyoukai – great demon  
__Hanyou – half-demon  
Ningen – human  
__Kami – deity  
__Kaze no Kizu – "Wind Scar" Inuyasha's most frequently used special attack with the Tetsuaiga.  
__Kitsune – a type of fox spirit, the same species as Shippou in the anime.  
__Miko – priestess_

* * *

They decided that Inuyasha had to be the one to break the bad news to the Higurashi family since he was now the only person alive who could travel to Kagome's time. Carrying an urn that contained the miko's ashes, the hanyou jumped into the well and disappeared. They had tried to deliver the body to the family intact, but somehow it wasn't able to travel through the well along with Inuyasha. Besides, Miroku felt it was a better idea to present Kagome's remains in the form of ashes because their fight with Kochiyo the Giant Snake Demoness had left her corpse with a face that was horribly disfigured by the youkai's acidic venom.

The purple venom clouds had caught them totally by surprise. Everyone, including Inuyasha and Kagome succumbed to the vapours. However, this was not before Inuyasha managed to release a "Kaze no Kizu" which he later surmised must have caused the demoness' death. At least, that was what he remembered before he blacked out. However, victory came at a high price. When they all woke up, they found that the caustic venom had given all of them bad burns, including the tough hanyou, but it killed Kagome. They found her disfigured corpse lying on the ground, wearing whatever was left of her school uniform.

"I thought her miko powers would protect her," sobbed Sango, as the fire from Kagome's funeral pyre lit the sky above Kaede's village.

Miroku put a comforting hand on her shoulder as he watched the blue-grey smoke fill the sky. For once, he didn't let his famous wandering hand slide down to her shapely butt. He was just as surprised as Sango that their friend didn't survive their encounter with the snake demon. Something just didn't make sense. However, he wisely kept his thoughts to himself since there was no evidence to support any other conclusion.

The entire group decided to take a break from hunting the remnants of the sacred jewel. They needed some time to recover from their injuries and mourn the death of their friend. The little kitsune was inconsolable and cried for days.

* * *

The Lord of the Western Lands silently observed the youkai blacksmith who crafted his armour put the final links of chain on manacles that encircled the slender wrists and ankles of the sleeping girl. The chain was then linked to bolted hoops of metal imbedded in the floor of the circular platform on which she slept. The platform itself consisted of grey stone that was etched with arcane symbols in concentric circles. It floated magically over a huge, bottomless chasm that was located in a large, vaulted chamber somewhere deep beneath the demon lord's castle.

"My lord, your plan worked perfectly," remarked Usotsukiro as he awaited further instructions from his master. "The hanyou and his companions think she is dead."

"Continue to watch their movements and report what you see," the taiyoukai replied without looking at his carroty-haired kitsune spy.

"It shall be done, my lord," Usotsukiro bowed and disappeared with a flick of his bushy tail into the shadows of the doorway leading to the chamber.

Although he did not show it, Sesshoumaru smiled internally. When the hanyou appeared with his companions, the taiyoukai believed they would somehow ruin his well-laid plans. However, at the last moment, he found a way to turn this complication to his advantage. He had not only managed to destroy Lady Kochiyo, but also found his precious Rin, AND, as an added bonus, now had the dangerous miko trapped in a prison where he could take his time to discover the source of her power. Furthermore, since no one saw him kill the snake demoness, the agents of lord Azumamaro would naturally assume the hanyou and his companions did it.

The miko was still unconscious and would remain so for quite while. Although she was not physically hurt by the snake demoness' venomous miasma, it would nevertheless take her a month or so to recover from the battle.

Satisfied by what he had seen, Sesshoumaru made his way out of the subterranean vaulted chamber and moved up to a higher level of his grand palace. He headed towards Rin's apartments. The rooms surrounded a flower-filled courtyard he had specially constructed for her. When he found her after killing Lady Kochiyo, she was naked, shaking like a leaf and covered in some kind of herbal paste that masked her normal scent. She ran towards him as soon as he made his appearance in the storehouse where she was hiding behind some barrels. Picking her up, he covered her with his long fur pelt and allowed her to burry her grubby, tearing face in the spotless white of his kimono. As he moved out of the storehouse and was about to fly off into the night, his foot hit the soft side of an unconscious woman who was as bare as his Rin.

Just as he was about to step over this non-entity and take off into the night, Rin begged him to take this strange woman along with them. Because the sight of an exposed Ningen body encrusted with dried blood offended the demon lord's sensibilities, he grabbed a large ragged sheet and wrapped her up in it before returning to his abode.

Sesshoumaru guessed that the naked woman was also a prisoner of Lady Kochiyo and that Rin had somehow gotten to know her. However, it was only when Jaken reported that the little girl started having nightmares where she tossed and whimpered in her sleep that he bothered to question the child about her time in the hands of the enemy. When he first brought her back home, he had a few female courtiers check Rin for wounds and evidence of other violations. He was truly relieved to find out that there were none except for rope burns on her wrists and ankles.

However, he now feared that the enemy had somehow touched the child's soul with darkness. Putting aside his normal reserve and impassive demeanour he decided that he would do whatever it took to find out from her what she had experienced in that nightmarish place.

He found Rin sitting listlessly beside a pond, holding a flower. A small frown crossed her otherwise smooth face.

"Rin."

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" the little girl was genuinely happy to see him.

The taiyoukai wondered how he was going to broach the topic. He sat down beside her and tried to pull her onto his lap like he sometimes did during their long trips out into the wilderness, but she shrunk away from him, as though his fingers were made of fire. Not wanting to cause her further discomfort, Sesshoumaru retracted his arm and kept a small distance from the child. He was dying to ask her why she reacted in that manner, but restrained himself and waited to see if she would offer the information on her own.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Yes, Rin," he wished she would hurry up!

"Er… uh…" her face turned white with fear. "Do you have a finger growing out from between your legs?"

Sesshoumaru stared at the little girl, "Why do you ask?"

"It is fun for you if someone starts sucking it?"

If it was possible for a demon lord to faint, the great Sesshoumaru wished right at that moment to fall to the ground in an unconscious stupor.

**

* * *

**

**An Hour Later…**

The demon lord was furious! By using a little of his magic on Rin while they were talking, he was able to see what the child saw in the few days where she was held captive by Lady Kochiyo's murderous butcher. Although Rin's traumatic past and death had made desensitized her to most of the violence that was prevalent in their current age and time, these scenes of carnage were nothing compared to the horrors found under the roof of Lady Kochiyo's mansion. Scenes where screaming humans were chopped up like cattle and served up at dinner were deeply imprinted in the little girl's mind and ended up as the nightmares she faced every night.

However, he was even more horrified to learn of what the girl witnessed in the slaughterhouse between the grey demon and the woman that she had begged him to save. Although he didn't recognize her at first, he later recalled that they had met at the slave market.

If only he knew that she would be the one who was going to take away Rin's innocence, he would have torn her limb from limb when they first met!

It didn't really matter to him that the strange Ningen female had tried to save his Rin and even leapt into the face of a demon to protect the little girl. He was enraged by what his ward had to go through, and since both the grey demon and Lady Kochiyo were dead, he needed someone upon which to exercise his demonic vengeance.

His calm porcelain visage lost its serenity as he got up quickly after talking to the little girl and headed in the direction of the room where the woman was recovering. His eyes – large, calm pools of gold – were now narrowed into amber slits. Stomping angrily through the polished wooden hallways of his castle, he swiftly approached the chamber where the woman slept. Pushing aside the sliding doors with a quick sweep of his arm, he entered the small, plain room where the woman slept.

The servant who was in the room looking after the woman screamed and cowered in a corner when the demon lord drew Tokijin from his belt. As he hovered over his sleeping victim, the woman's eyes opened for the first time in two days and stared straight into his golden. Grasping the hilt of his sword firmly in his hand, the taiyoukai bought it down vertically between her eyes. At the last moment just before the blade hit its mark, it halted abruptly over the woman's face. A few seconds passed before a look of amazement and shock replaced the fury that marred the demon lord's calm beauty.

She was smiling at him.

Although a lowly Ningen, and thus incapable (at least to noble youkai) of courage or valour in the face of death and danger, she had not flinched when Tokijin's sharp point came rushing towards her. Instead, an ecstatic smile that lighted up her face with a kind of divine radiance met the edge of that evil blade.

For a brief second, a discomforting, alien emotion entered Sesshoumaru's heart. However, as soon as he felt it, his face hardened into an impassive mask, revealing nothing of his inner confusion. He quickly sheathed his sword and strode out of the room.

* * *

"…there our lord was, his sword hanging a hair's breadth from her face, and she merely smiled," the awestruck youkai servant exclaimed.

"I heard from Usotsukiro that she fought Lady Kochiyo in single combat with a mere kitchen knife!" Another servant quipped.

"Maybe she's an exterminator…"

"I've seen my fair share of exterminators and none of them ever went up against a giant demon alone, much less with a kitchen knife!"

"They say over in Furuzawa, she single-handedly killed one of Lady Kochiyo's minions."

"Is she a miko?"

"Nah, I don't sense any purifying power from her."

"Is she even human?"

"Maybe she's a kami in disguise…"

"That's the craziest thing I've ever heard!"

A group of youkai servants huddled in what they thought was a quiet alcove along one of the castle's polished hallways gossiping, unaware that a pair of golden eyes was watching them from the shadow of a stairway that lay diagonally across from where they stood.

"… but I mean, WHAT IF she really was kami?"

"She's just some lowly Ningen. I can smell it off her instantly."

"Well, she isn't a peasant, if that's what you're wondering."

"Yeah, and how do you know that?"

"Well, she has smooth hands for one, and she can read…"

A huge "What!" echoed through the silent hallways as every member of the gossiping group exclaimed loudly at this new tidbit of information.

"How did you find out?"

"I was bringing her the evening meal, when she called out to me and said that I had dropped my grocery list," a serving girl gestured as she described the scene where the list she had earlier slipped into her waistband fell out. "I didn't know it had fallen until she held it out to me… I didn't really want speak with her you know,... Ningens are always screaming and babbling whenever you try to talk to them…. So I ignored her, but she said: 'This is your grocery list, right?' and then started to read out some of the items…"

"Just a fluke, I'm sure… She can guess what it is by looking at you."

"It's not a fluke!"

"And I suppose she can count and do sums like our head steward!"

"Well actually…"

"NO! Don't say you…."

They suddenly froze when they spotted their lord's foot descend from a nearby stairway. As the tall, silvery-haired demon came into view, they bowed low, shifting their feet uncomfortably. Coolly surveying them beneath his narrowed eyes for a few seconds, Sesshoumaru turned and walked off in the opposite direction.

* * *

Sachiko wasn't too sure when she actually woke up. She was lucky that the wounds didn't become infected. The first few days seemed hazy and indistinct as she continuously slipped in and out of dreams. It was as though she was dead and in a heavenly paradise where she saw her long-deceased parents. At one point, she thought even saw the lovely silver angel with long hair and pools of gold for eyes floating towards her on a silky cloud. He was leaning over her, mirroring her image in his gaze. As a bright beam of silver radiance streaked downwards from somewhere above his head, she looked into his perfect countenance and smiled.

It was the most wonderful dream she had before she really woke up and found her self in a heavenly-looking palace full of demons. Although most of the demons looking after her had strong human characteristics, their physical oddities gave away their youkai nature. Moreover, there was a strange air of darkness that surrounded each demon, regardless of their rank or status.

When she was conscious and able to move around, she was mostly left alone by the servants, who either maintained an air of disdain and aloofness or carefully avoided talking to her at length. However, she could tell from the side glances that they give her when they thought she wasn't looking, that some of them were curious about her, but something, perhaps tradition or prejudice stopped them from saying anything significant.

However, the demon servants weren't the only ones who did a lot of watching. On the second day after she regained consciousness, the little girl she had saved also made an appearance. She usually stood behind one of the screen doors that opened to Sachiko's room, hiding in the shadows, watching her quietly. When Sachiko reached out to the little girl, she backed away quickly, her small face filled with fear and apprehension.

"Hello there," she called out to the child one morning, when she saw the girl peeking out from behind a screen door. "What's your name?"

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, the little girl ran off. At first Sachiko was surprised, but when she thought over her actions during the time they were together in the slaughterhouse, she realised that she might have come across as a sort of freakish monster. As Sachiko watched the little girl run across the flowering gardens from her polished, wooden balcony, she wondered how she could gain the trust of the only human she knew in this world full of demons. On a practical level, she needed to know more about the place she was in now, and the little girl seemed like a good source of information, since none of the youkai seemed to want to talk to her.

Looking at the blossoming garden, she had an idea. Since there was no youkai attendant in the room looking over her, she hobbled slowly out of her room and down into the garden. She had noted the direction in which the little girl ran, and walked slowly towards it, picking flowers as she went along and made a small chain of pastel blossoms. Following a fairly level path made of fine grit, she soon caught sight of a chain of rooms linked together by wooden walkways to other parts of this vast palace. As a light breeze blew in her direction, she heard the voice of a little girl talking to someone, but there was also another sound, a strange eerie noise that seemed to come from a natural rock formation nearby.

Although she wanted to hurry over to the little girl, her curiosity was intensely piqued by the strange noise. She hobbled over to the rock formation and looked around to see where the sound could be coming from. Walking around the huge, many layered formation; she saw that it originated from somewhere deep under the soil and took on a strange, craggy shape. Following the sound, she tracked it to a large crack in the rock that was just large enough for a small woman like her to slip through. Inside, she saw a natural path leading downwards. Although there wasn't much light shining through from the outside, the way downwards didn't really seem dark.

Drawn by the sound as though it were a spell, she dropped the flower chain, slipped through the crack and went downwards. Before she knew what she was doing, she was nearly two stories downwards in the dark earth. When the fear of the close darkness finally got to her, she noticed a small opening ahead and a dim light that shone through. The eerie sound seemed to emanate from this small opening. Moving carefully so that she would not be heard, Sachiko peeked through the opening.

Beyond, she saw a narrow stone ledge that led to a sharp drop down into a pit that seemed to have no bottom. The cavern that opened up before her was cylindrical in shape and the roof arched upwards like a dome. Hearing voices coming from somewhere in the direction of the pit, Sachiko flattened her body on the dry, stony floor and peeked over the ledge.

The voice of the speaker struck her even before she laid eyes on him. It had a smooth, deep baritone timbre that reminded her of rich velvet. Peeking over the edge, she had to clap her hand over her mouth to prevent herself from uttering a cry of astonishment. Peering diagonally downwards, she caught sight of her silvery angel. A tall, impossibly handsome being dressed in snow-white silk with a prominent fluffy fur stole slung over one shoulder. He was even more majestic than she remembered. With ethereal grace, he leapt from a stone balcony that protruded from the smooth cavern wall and landed on the strange stone platform where a young, ebony-haired girl was chained hand and foot.

From her elevated perch, Sachiko could see that although the girl tried her best to put on a bold front she was clearly afraid of the 'angel' that stood before her.

"I did not think you would awake so soon," the 'angel' observed.

"Why have you kidnapped me, Sesshoumaru?" the girl said, trying hard not to have her voice break into a whimper.

"You are not in the position to ask any questions, ningen," he coolly replied. "You will speak only when spoken to and answer truthfully to whatever you are asked."

The girl's mouth twitched a little in anger, she looked as though she was about to open her mouth in protest, but stopped herself in time when she saw that the one called Sesshoumaru was glaring at her.

"Inuyasha will be coming for me," she sullenly said.

A slight twitch at the corner of his mouth was the only indication of a likely smirk. However, it never came for the white-clad 'angel's' face remained impassive.

"I think not."

"What do you mean by that!" the girl blurted out the words, shocked by her captor's coolness and the sure tone of his answer.

"You are dead to him and your friends."

The girl was doubly shocked, she was now screaming her reply, "What! Why? Damn you, Sesshoumaru, tell me what you have done!"

In the blink of an eye, the slender, fair being was beside the girl, he picked her up by her throat with clawed hands. As he spoke, his fangs became visible, his voice, one smooth and velvety, was now laced with bone-chilling growls.

"How DARE you demand an answer from me!" he growled harshly, shaking the girl as though she were nothing more than a rag doll. "This is MY DOMAIN and you WILL learn to acknowledge my power or you WILL DIE!"

He dropped her unceremoniously on the hard platform before he turned to leap off the suspended stone circle. Looking back, his voice was again cool and velvety.

"Not a drop of water will pass your lips unless you decide to cooperate," he said before leaping back on to the balcony.

Sachiko's face turned to ash as she slid away cautiously from the ledge. It was apparent that her silver 'angel' was a demon, and a rather ruthless one at that. Fear curled up in her belly as hope died away. She quietly sunk away, and headed back to the garden.

* * *

**Answers to Reviewers:**

**Chiaztolite – **well, actually I don't know 100 how the story will turn out. I'm still trying to work out realistic reactions for every significant character in this story.

**1kenshinlover – **Glad you like the character. I hope she gets more interesting as the chapters roll by.

**Saturns Darkness – **I'll try my best to update regularly, but with my work catching up, its gonna be hard. But will try not to disappoint.

**Yukino** – I read the chapter a few times and perhaps it might be a little confusing if you don't read in-between the lines. I do think I have tried to give enough clues that Rin wasn't killed at all…

Clue 1:  
"In 3 days, you are to prepare that special "dish" we talked about. If our guest somehow figures out, who it is that he is eating, his lordship will have your head on a pike!"

This line, said by the demoness in the chapter gives a timeline when the girl is gonna be made into dinner. She is to end up as dinner in 3 days and not that same evening.

Clue 2:

No where in the chapter does it say the grey demon picked up the little girl and chopped off her head or anything. The only person he DOES slice up into sashimi is the poor limbless human that he keeps alive and tied up behind dismembered body parts.

"….Expertly, Gurekaibutsu used his knives to cut thin slices off the side of the man's chest. He then carefully arranged the slices elegantly on a bed of lettuce before cleaning up the limbless man and shoving him back behind the dismembered limbs….."

Clue 3:

"So I won't be made into that "special" dish?"

Gurekaibutsu laughed softly, "T-th-at's th-the l-l-little g-g-irl."

In this except, Sachiko is assuming that SHE will be made into the special dish since the demoness didn't mention who the victim was. The grey demon is just telling her, no, it was supposed to be the little girl in the first place.

I didn't include too many explanations, because in real life conversations between people don't always occur in full sentences. And since he talks with a stutter, he might try to limit his verbal communications with others and speak in short sentences.

It is clear to fans of Inuyasha from clue 1 that Sachiko probably isn't an ingredient in the special dish. So why does she automatically assume that she is? Well, most people stuck in that kind of situation will assume the worst and see themselves as the main character in that drama.

I've tried my best to answer your questions regarding this manner. I hope that the explanations will clarify things. If they don't there's not much I can say to convince you otherwise.

I thought it was made sufficiently clear to readers, who did or didn't die in chapter 3. The fact that no one else brought up this issue, and you did mention this observation in your original post, does indicate to me that readers generally grasp the essence of what happened in that chapter.

Although you have described the most often seen ways of killing demons. There are scenes in Inuyasha where demon exterminators make use of simple tools like burning herbs for instance to defeat youkai. Moreover, not all demons are tough skinned creatures. Some of them are fairly weak, as seen in some of the more comedic episodes starring shippou.

Although I keep to the story in terms of how the characters behave and react, I don't follow all background details 100 percent. I follow enough of it so that the story remains set in a believable version of medieval Japan where people react negatively to scantily-clad girls and half-demons and demon lords do more than just aimlessly patrol their lands.


	6. Disturbing Discoveries

_Disclaimer: I don't own "Inuyasha"._

_Hi Everyone,_

_Things have been really hectic for me back at home, so I haven't been able to come up with the kind of updates that I had hoped to provide. However, I hope to have more time to do so in the near future. Thanks for giving me all your encouragement and comments._

_Word Translations:_

_Youkai – demon  
__Taiyoukai – great demon  
__Hanyou – half-demon  
Ningen – human  
__Kami – deity  
__Kaze no Kizu – "Wind Scar" Inuyasha's most frequently used special attack with the Tetsuaiga.  
__Kitsune – a type of fox spirit, the same species as Shippou in the anime.  
__Miko – priestess_

----------------------------------------------------

Sachiko's knees were shaking badly as she climbed out of the crack in the monolithic rock formation. She sunk down to the ground and felt the trickle of tears come down her face. Things had been pretty bad back in her old life before she entered this outlandish world of demons and strange magic.

In fact, she thought her life was over the night she climbed out of her apartment window. There were times when she wondered if she was indeed dead and this was hell, or the afterlife. After all, the last thing she remembered facing were the headlights of a car. However, this strange realm resembled no afterlife that resembled the descriptions given by priests and monks at the temples. Although there were demons everywhere, there was no grim-faced judge with a book of her life opened before him, and there were none of the prescribed punishments that were frequently depicted in religious drawings.

If she had somehow landed up in hell before the judge of the underworld, at least she would know how long she had to reside before reincarnation granted her release from her torments. She had no expectations of leniency from the powers-that-be for she knew that she was likely to suffer for her immoral deeds no matter the extenuating circumstances. Instead, she was thrown into a nightmare that resembled medieval Japan, but contained things that were never described in any history book, with no way of knowing how long she had to stay before returning to a world that was familiar to her.

At that moment, it seemed this nightmare would last forever.

When her silver 'angel' appeared, he represented a kind of reprieve from her suffering. She had dreams of holding his hand as they flew towards paradise, compassion radiating from his kind face. Now, even this small measure of hope was cruelly snatched away from her. Fate had dealt her the unkindest cut when her 'angel' shed his mask to reveal the cruel face of a monster.

"Why are you crying?"

Started, Sachiko lifted her tear-stained face and looked up into the innocent face of the little girl who was standing a good 8 feet away from her. Blinking and wiping her moist face, she tried to get up and move closer to the girl. However, the child started to inch away from her.

Drooping her shoulders with a sigh, Sachiko sat down on the soft grass and replied, "I tripped and fell."

"Oh…"

"I got something for you," Sachiko picked up the chain of flowers that she had made for the little girl. She held it out far enough and then dropped it on the mossy grass so the little girl could grab the gift without getting too close to her.

Reaching out shyly the girl took it and slipped it over her head. "It's pretty."

"I'm glad you liked it."

A few seconds of utter silence passed before the little girl opened her mouth again.

"Are you youkai?"

"No…"

"Oni?"

"Er, no…"

The girl wrinkled her brow in confusion. "Well, you can't be human."

"Well, I am."

The girl stared at her.

"You MUST be blessed by kami or have demon blood!"

"Well no, I've not been blessed; neither do I have demon blood…"

"Are you a miko?"

"No," she laughed, "Definitely not."

"Well, you have to be…"

"Why's that?"

"Sesshoumaru-sama once mentioned something about how the only humans with powers are the priests, monks and holy men…"

Sachiko's throat constricted when she heard the name. "You know this Sesshoumau-sama…?"

"Of course, everyone here knows Sesshoumaru-sama… he is the lord of this castle and ruler of the Western lands… at least that's what Jaken-sama says…"

The petite woman found it hard to suppress the "eep!" that sprang unbidden from her throat. Her throat was dry as she struggled to pull a smile to cover her fear. For some reason, the little girl seemed to be less afraid of her now and had taken a seat by her side on the soft grass while she talked endlessly about the silver-haired demon.

"Really? Tell me more about Sesshoumaru-sama… er… " she suddenly realised that they had never really introduced themselves. "What's your name?"

"Rin"

"I'm Sachiko…"

-----------------------------------------

**Meanwhile… **

The night sky hung serenely like huge silken tapestry studded with glorious, sparkling stars. Even though only the barest slip of a moon shone in the darkness, Sesshoumaru's remarkable night vision allowed him to appreciate the beauty of the nocturnal countryside. Walking under a delicate lattice of branches formed by the bare autumn trees, he smelled the delicate scent of pine needles which he crushed underfoot while he strolled around the forest that lay just beyond his palace.

Snap.

His keen ears instantly picked up the sound of someone stumbling around in the darkness about a hundred feet from him. Swiftly and quietly, he sped along the leaf-covered ground, his amazing agility allowing him to move without sound, even on a carpet of dried leaves. Even before he was able to see his prey, he knew who it was. He could smell her distinctive, jasmine-like scent from a distance. Growling angrily, he wondered how his brother's miko could have escaped from the special prison that his father had constructed for priests and other holy men.

Soon, he saw her stumbling around in the dark forest. She was now clad in the yukata he had his servants swap for her previous indecent attire. With a leap, he sailed effortlessly through the air to land in front of her as she practically bumped into the breastplate covering his chest. As soon as she caught her wind after colliding unceremoniously into him, she gave a small scream and ran in the opposite direction.

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. This was almost too easy. Like the invisible wind, he sped up towards her retreating form and grabbed her at the shoulder and waist from behind. The force of the momentum caused both of them to fall forward. They fell with a "frump" on the leaf-covered ground. The girl screamed and turned, trying to use her hands to push him away. A glowing light, which was by now familiar to the taiyoukai, formed in the space between her struggling hands. When he saw it, it was a bit too late to avert from the miko's purifying energy. Steeling himself against certain pain, Sesshoumaru held onto his quarry.

He felt a stinging sensation and knew that searing pain was sure to follow. As the glowing light increased in intensity, he felt his fangs elongating, his eye turning from gold to red as his primal, demonic nature rose to the surface to meet this challenge. There was a smarting, almost blinding pain as the light filled his entire field of vision. When it cleared, he saw that although the light had again shattered his armour, he was completely unhurt.

He blinked and instinctively pinned the miko to the ground. The girl's mouth rounded to an "O" as she screamed and turned away from him as though he was going to lunge at her next with his elongated fangs. Half confused by the pain he had experienced and egged on by his own primal instincts, Sesshoumaru drove his face and fangs towards her neck; the thought of tearing out her throat was foremost in his mind. However, he stopped as his fangs grazed her skin, drawing a bit of blood.

His sensitive nose caught a whiff of her delicious scent. A smell that was heady and intoxicating. Closing his eyes as he inhaled the scent, he felt his tongue flick outwards, tasting the tangy blood that seeped from the small cut. The taste of the blood was sweet and excited something inside of him. He bent closer and started flicking his tongue against the soft skin of her neck, nuzzling her cheeks with his nose.

A feeling of bliss spread over him as he heard a moan escape from her lips. Soon, he felt the cloth of the yukata slip from her shoulder and as the red faded from his eyes, he was brushing his lips against her beautiful ivory shoulders.

Small, delicate hands pressed against the white silk of his chest as the girl beneath him gasped breathlessly, "What are you doing to me?"

Reaching out with his hands, he pushed the miko's away gently and pinned them firmly but carefully on the leafy ground beside her head.

Wait a minute, his hands?

Sesshoumaru stared at them incredulously; two slender hands and arms marked with magenta stripes. He blinked and shook his head violently.

He jerked forward, almost falling over as he awoke from his meditation in his dimly-lit study. Although it was still dark outside, Sesshoumaru's keen perception told him it was nearly dawn. Demons of his stature needed little or no sleep. Some of them spent the night in study and contemplation, others used the unearthly hours to wreck havoc on an unsuspecting world, and yet others spent the time disciplining their own mind through meditation.

The demon lord bristled with annoyance. Never before had he fallen asleep while meditating and he certainly didn't intend to dream about his brother's miko and himself in a compromising position!

Picking up a small bell, he rang it to summon a servant. Within a few seconds, the door to his study slid open as a youkai servant bowed low to receive his orders.

"Tell Goumonguro that I wish to speak with him."

The servant nodded and closed the door. Within a few moments, he returned with an inuyoukai that had striking metallic-green hair. The inuyoukai bowed low to his lord as he entered Sesshoumaru's sparse, neatly organized study. Goumonguro was skilled in all things that pertained to the mystical world and specialized in extracting information from the foes of his lord.

"Have you discerned the source of the miko's powers?"

"I humbly apologise my lord, for this unworthy servant has failed to find out more about the source of this ningen's unusual powers," Goumonguro replied with a face almost as stoic as that of his lord.

Sesshoumaru tilted his head slightly at the apology. "And her story is still the same?"

"Yes, my lord. She still claims to come from the future, even after our spies have investigated the bone-eater's well and found that it leads nowhere." The green-haired demon paused for a bit, allowing his lord to consider the information that he had provided. "Although I know that you have forbidden it, my lord, but there is no way to extract any more useful information from this ningen unless some physical or magical force is applied."

"I will consider your words, Goumonguro," the taiyoukai said. "Return to your other duties. No more information do I require from the prisoner at this current time."

Goumonguro bowed and left the room soon after.

In the quiet study just before first light of dawn, the demon lord considered his predicament. He had not originally intended to capture his brother's wench, but since Fate and chance had placed her in his hands, he had made what he considered the logical choice. Clearly the girl had tremendous power, but almost no formal training. Moreover, she was also much much stronger than a normal miko. In fact, she was much stronger than any human that ever lived, even surpassing the famed Midoriko, who was supposedly the most powerful miko who ever fought his kind.

It was only logical then that as a taiyoukai, he would try to find out where her powers came from and perhaps even harness it for his own purposes. He DID intend to rule the world one day… or did he?

Sesshoumaru crinkled his flawless brow. Something was indeed not quite right here, but for the first time in his life, he had no idea what it could be. He mentally ran though the events of the past few weeks from his two unfortunate meetings with his brother's miko to his recent conversation with Goumonguro, looking at them from different angles.

Suddenly his eyes snapped wide open. A tremendous "NO!" welled up from inside of him. All of his experiences with the miko and his own reactions pointed to only one conclusion.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" he thundered.

Despite maintaining a carefully cultivated appearance of emotionless detachment, the demon lord certainly wasn't dense when it came to recognizing affairs of the heart. His many years of experience as a ruler and politician had taught him to recognise different behaviour patterns in those he met, reading their hearts from their words, faces and actions. His constant efforts to cultivate a supreme level of self-discipline coupled by intense introspection to weed out any weakness in his psyche had given him a measure of self awareness.

He knew that he could feel desire, and even fell in love once in the long years of his existence. He didn't necessarily think of emotion as a weakness, although his own personal standards with regards to his paramours were high. Thus, it confounded the great Sesshoumaru to find himself feeling a measure of desire for a ningen wench. For surely, if it were only a matter of some wanton craving on his part, any demoness of a reasonable stature could take on a form that far exceeded the miko in terms of beauty and sensuality.

In the light of the facts that confronted him, Sesshoumaru could only come up with three likely explanations for the behaviour he was getting from his own subconscious mind. One, that he had somehow grown perverse over the long years, or two, he was under some kind of spell, probably cast by the miko, or three, he had unknowingly fallen in love with his brother's wench.

He dismissed the third possibility immediately because there was almost no commonality between himself and the miko to permit love to blossom. Based upon what he had seen of her, he judged her to be overly emotional, reckless, silly, loud, abusive (to his brother), lacking in social graces and unintelligent. Moreover, she was far too young and immature for his liking. In fact, if he were to compare all the human women he had ever come across, the hugely outrageous harlot who had saved his Rin came closest to matching him in terms of strength of will, cunning and valour.

He shuddered at that thought.

Since, he was SURE that he wasn't getting perverse with age, Sesshoumaru had to conclude that someone or something, maybe the miko herself had unknowingly cast a spell on him. He rolled his eyes at the thought that the silly ningen would ever have the guts or gumption to knowingly try and seduce him.


	7. Things Fall Apart

_Disclaimer: I don't own "Inuyasha"._

_Word Translations:  
__Youkai - demon  
__Taiyoukai - great demon  
__Hanyou - half-demon  
__Ningen - human  
__Kami - deity  
__Miko - priestess_

_

* * *

_

Dozens of brightly coloured orbs spun around Sesshoumaru in quick succession as he set cross-legged on a flat, gray rock. After what seemed to be an eternity, the orbs slowed down and faded into nothingness like smoke in a breeze.

"What have you discerned, Goumonguro?"

The youkai with strange, metallic-green hair slowly closed an ornate box from which the orbs had initially emerged, "My lord, I am certain that you are not under a spell or enchantment which has come from any mortal or youkai. And you certainly are not under any sort of a spell from the priestess."

Sesshoumaru stood up and leapt off the rock. "I see. Is there any kind of magic then that can remain unnoticed and undetected for prolonged periods of time?"

"None that I know of, my lord, for a personage of your stature," Goumonguro replied. "Except if such a spell is entirely woven and cast by kami. For nothing that men or youkai can do in this mortal world can have such hold over you, my lord, that neither you nor I perceive nothing of it. Only kami alone are able to warp the very fabric of reality itself so that what change is done is not merely the casting of a spell, but the unraveling and respinning of Fate's threads."

"May not a pure and holy soul, perhaps the soul of a miko, be a conduit for power that only kami possess?"

Goumonguro shook his head, "Miko or monk, holy man or virgin pure, none can fully wield the powers of the gods. A great gulf separates that which is truly divine from the rest of us. So that, even if a kami were to allow his powers to flow through a mortal, the effect will be only a very pale shadow the divine being's true powers."

Sesshoumaru frowned in annoyance at the answers he had obtained from Goumonguro's tests and observations. Losing his temper certainly would not help the situation because he knew that his green-haired interrogator was absolutely right.

"There is perhaps one way by which the power of the gods may be used on you, my lord," remarked the demon after pondering for awhile. "If the miko had prayed to the gods for a direct intervention and somehow had her prayers answered... But, this is unlikely as the gods seldom bother to directly grant the petty requests of Man. Even if the request came from a holy man or woman."

Sesshoumaru left Goumonguro with the demon's words ringing in his ears. He highly doubted that aloof gods high in the heavens had anything to do with how he was reacting towards the young miko.

As he made his way towards the gardens he was roused form his deep contemplation by the sounds of laughter. Intrigued by the rare sound of mirth ringing through the somber halls of his home, he went to investigate its source.

He soon found Rin playing with that strange woman he had saved. It had been some time since he had last seen her. Growing angrily, he thought about their last face-to-face meeting. Silently chastising himself for not driving Tokijin through her heart, he hurriedly summoned a servant and did the only thing he could to salvage the situation at this point in time.

* * *

The servants came in the early hours of the morning and told Sachiko to prepare for a journey. They then blindfolded her and put her on what felt like some kind of mount or steed. Although she could not see anything, Sachiko knew that the mount was being led by someone, and that they we moving at an incredibly rapid pace because she felt cold air rushing furiously past her.

After a few hours, the mount stopped moving and rough hands picked Sachiko up and put her on what felt like a soft grassy mound.

"Can I take off this blindfold?"

There was no answer. The demons who had travelled with her this entire time said nothing to her and didn't even bother to answer her questions. The only sound she heard was the scuffling of feet before everything fell silent.

A few seconds passed before Sachiko pulled the blindfold from her eyes. She found herself silting beneath a large tree beside a rough country road. Since there was no one else around and she guessed that the demon Sesshoumau, or whatever he was called, had decided to free her. Although she did regret not saying goodbye to Rin, she was also relieved that she wasn't living with a whole bunch of them.

Getting off the ground, she found on the ground beside her, a small package wrapped in plain, homespun fabric containing two sets of clothes, a comb, a mirror and some food. Picking up the package, Sachiko made her way down the country road. She had no idea where she was going and had long ago given up speculating if she was in hell or in an alternate dimension. There was no way for her to confirm any theory she might have, so she decided to stick to the only conclusion she could come to given how she got here.

She was in some kind of afterlife, and perhaps hell was a kingdom run by demons with their own rules. Perhaps the only things that the damned could do were to live by the rules of this new existence and hopefully not end up on some monster's menu. With these somber thoughts constantly running through her mind, Sachiko slowly made her way down the narrow dirt road. She travelled for a day without seeing another person and was glad to be alone for a bit, because she had no idea what she would do it she did meet someone else.

Just after nightfall, she had reached the outskirts of what appeared to be a small town. Despite the relative size of the settlement, it was devoid of any sign of life. As Sachiko moved slowly down the main street of this town, she noticed that not a single window or doorway was lit from the inside. Like a graveyard, it was deathly quiet, lacking even the barking of stray dogs or the meowing of a cat. Stopping in front of an open doorway to a small two-storey house, Sachiko peered into the all too silent darkness.

"H-hello? Is anyone in?"

Silence.

Sachiko stepped cautiously into the house. A cold chill raced up her spine as she stepped gingerly on the dark, creaky floorboards. Making her way down a gloomy corridor, she reached out with her hands as she felt her way through the deepening shadows of the residence. The papered windows that occasionally broke the gloom did not let in much moonlight to illuminate the blackness.

As she turned to enter the first room to the right of the corridor, her foot struck a sack-like thing on the ground and caused her to lose her balance. The petite woman fell right into the "sack" and found herself face to face with the bloated visage of a middle-aged man whose bluish tongue was hanging out of his mouth.

A piercing shriek broke the silence as she backed away quickly and scrambled out of the house. Despite the horrifying screams, a part of her consciousness remained chillingly calm, quietly hearing the sounds she made with a certain unnerving detachment. The observer noted with a dry, silent laugh, how much like a horror movie her situation had become. Almost as though anticipating the next plot hook of this horror story, the observer caused Sachiko to stumble onto the street and turn her head to the right. Somehow, the observer knew that it - the monster of this story - was there, waiting for her.

In the distance, she saw a small snowy-haired girl clad in an elegant white kimono glide down the lonely street. The girl child held something in her arms, a bundle wrapped in the finest brocade. As the eerie youngster neared the petite woman, she tilted her arms so that Sachiko could see the contents of her bundle.

Staring into the child's arms with growing fear and horror, Sachiko found herself locking eyes with a lavender-haired demon that had the face of a cherub. Voices from an unseen source started to whisper in her mind as she spiraled down a deep, black whirlpool.

**

* * *

**

**Meanwhile …**

The first thing that he noticed about her was the way her hair fell over her face when she slept. Although she didn't have skin as white as snow and hair as glossy as ebony lacquer on fine tableware, her hair did have a way of making her face look serenely beautiful, almost like the a fairy maiden from the legends of old.

Moving in for a closer look, the Taiyoukai floated gently down onto the platform where he had the miko imprisoned in an arcane circle. He sat down quietly on the stony floor about 4 feet from her, one leg brought up gracefully against his chest as he rested his arm on the upraised knee. Quietly, he watched her sleeping form, studying her smooth curves almost with the diligence of a scholar. He had always viewed ningen females as being rough, lumpy creatures without any semblance of beauty or dignity. However, seeing Kagome up close, he could not help but wonder why he never noticed her fragile beauty. In fact, she seemed soft, much much softer than a demoness. So delicate and pliable was the form of this human female that he reached out and stroked her rosebud cheeks without even knowing that he had done so.

When he became aware that he was touching the miko, Sesshoumaru snatched away his hand quickly with a slight snarl. Unfortunately, that same snarl caused the subject of his "study" to wake up.

"W-what are you doing!" the taiyoukai found himself confronted by Kagome's wild, accusing stare.

"Checking to see if you are still breathing!" the demon lord winced internally. He wished he didn't sound so defensive.

"Well, stop staring!"

A clawed hand shot out and closed itself around the girl's throat. "You forget your place, ningen! In my domain, only I make the demands!"

Gasping desperately for air as the taiyoukai's claws tightened around her throat, Kagome tried her best to pry his fingers apart with her hands, but to no avail. Sesshoumaru had pulled the miko close towards him, so that their faces were mere inches apart. Somehow during the struggle, the front of her robe had become loose, exposing the smooth curves of her heaving bosom. It didn't take the demon lord long to notice her creamy skin through the opening of her robe.

_THWACK!_

A reddish palm-shaped mark appeared on the Sesshoumaru's flawless cheek. Completely caught off guard, it took the demon lord a few long seconds before he could come up a response to this insult. With a vicious snarl, he shoved Kagome hard on the ground and brought his hand up to deliver his own reciprocal blow. As the taiyoukai's hand came down towards the girl's cheek, a strange sensation filled his chest. It caused a lump to form in his throat, so that in the end, he only managed a light tap on Kagome's cheek.

Rounding his hand into a fist, Sesshoumaru quickly retracted it from the miko's face. Stung by how his own emotions and reactions had betrayed him, he allowed his carefully cultivated mask of cold detachment to take over. Straightening himself up so that he towered over the whimpering girl, Sesshoumaru turned on his heel and walked away, as though nothing had happened.

He wanted to say something menacing as he walked way, but the confusion of emotions in his mind prevented him from coming up with anything that would have be appropriate for the situation. He thought it best to let the ningen female wonder what neferious evil he might do to repay the insult.

Back in this own private study, Sesshoumaru slumped down beside his writing table, one hand covering his face. It took all the willpower he had to maintain his air of aloof arrogance as he left the prison and made his way to where no one could see him. It was now clear to the demon lord that he was in big trouble and no amount of magic or might could untangle him from the mess that he was in.

He had fallen in love... again. And like his previous encounter with this terrible affliction, he was sure it would end in blood.


	8. One Of The Damned

_Disclaimer: I don't own "Inuyasha"._

_

* * *

_

The morning sun shining through the window was almost too bright for a gloomy Winter day. Somewhere in the background Sachiko Taji heard the ringing of the school bell. She blinked in confusion, and then remembered that she had a test during the morning class. Soon the familiar faces of her fellow students started filling the empty classroom.

The test came and went, and in a little while school was over for the day. Like clockwork, Sachiko walked home with some of the girls from her school. Kyoko, Yoko and Momoko - the names of her friends were etched clearly in her mind, like it was yesterday. After all, was it not yesterday when she last saw them? Sachiko wrinkled her brow. She was sure that there was something that she had forgotten, but she could not remember what it was.

Time flew by and soon it was the moment for all of them to graduate from high school. As Sachiko walked out of the school gates for the last time, she was filled with a sense of accomplishment. Unlike on previous occasions, her friends were not with her. Somehow she knew that she would be taking this walk alone, and that she had to take a lengthy detour and walk through the city centre, passing by bustling shops filled with wonderfully wrapped goods.

She passed by a scruffy-looking young man lounging beside an electronics store. Instinct told her to lean her arm in his direction. Suddenly, in a completely unexpected move, he reached out a grubby hand and yanked her bag from her shoulder. With perfect timing, Sachiko screamed and fell to the ground. She quickly got up and ran after the thief, shouting for help at the top of her lungs.

Then he appeared, as she had expected, a young man in a smart suit and an air of rebellious danger. He jumped on the thief and wrestled him to the ground. Sachiko felt her cheeks turn red when she got her bag back from the dashing young rogue. Deep down inside, her subconscious mind watched the entire scene unfold with dispassionate familiarity. It knew that Sachiko would find out that the young man was called Hibiki and that she would fall in love with this gangster despite the protestations of her father, who was her only family.

The death of Sachiko's father from cancer took place in the following year. Her mother had died when she was 10 and her father never remarried. Both father and daughter weren't particularly close to any one of their relatives, so his death left her all alone in the world.

She married Hibiki one year later. Perhaps it was because she felt lonely and lost after the death of her father, that she married young. However, whatever the reason might be, she was happy, at least for the first year of their marriage.

Then Hibiki started drinking and his debts from gambling started to accumulate. To make things worse, he borrowed a great deal of money from the yakuza and was unable to pay. Almost on cue, Hibiki's temper started getting worse and he often took out his frustration on his helpless wife.

But Sachiko already knew all of this; just as she knew the shame and agony she would feel when she sold herself for the first time to pay off his debts. Walking back through the pouring rain to her little, dark apartment after her first "engagement", she wondered why she made the same lousy decisions again.

Again? Had she done this before?

Stopping under a damp, gloomy underpass Sachiko strained to remember. Deep inside the cavern of her mind were years filled with memories of herself pacing through the seedy streets of Tokyo looking for clients. Years that she had never ever lived through. So how could she have seen her future? It was more than just a simple feeling of deja vu, she knew that something was misplaced.

"Want to have some fun, pretty lady?" A man in a long overcoat and outstretched hands had come up right beside her while she was deep in thought.

Sachiko screamed and hit the lecher with her handbag before running away quickly, heels splashing in muddy puddles as she raced through the rain. The feeling of uncertainty she had felt soon turned into a sense of foreboding. She needed answers, and continued running through the poorly lit streets wishing that this horrible nightmare, which was her life, would go away. That would somehow come to a place where she could find warmth and security.

A loud screech and the furious honking from an annoyed driver wakened her from the trance-like state she was falling into. Looking around in the fuzzy rain, Sachiko saw that she had recklessly dashed across a small street. As she stopped to catch her breath, she noticed that she was back in the neighbourhood where she had grown up. Instinct took hold of her as she quickly stumbled towards the apartment block where she remembered her family home was. Despite the lateness of the hour, the life lobby was still lit and she could even see a light shining from the windows of the apartment where her family once stayed.

Her hand trembled as she lifted her finger to press the button on the elevator and tears sprung to her eyes. How she wished she could see her parents once again. Going up in the elevator, she soon arrived on the floor where the lit apartment was. The long narrow corridor with its peeling paint and dusty floor seemed more austere than she remembered.

Slowly, with the clip clop of her high heels ringing out loudly in the silence, Sachiko made her way to the lit apartment that was her family home. She stopped in front of the door and pulled out the key that she had never bothered to get rid of. Sliding the key into the lock, she turned it easily. Clearly, whomever it was that was now living there did not change the locks.

Quietly she entered the front door and was about to call out to the owner of the house when she heard an all too familiar female voice.

"Is that you, dear?"

A huge lump formed in Sachiko's throat. It was a voice she had not heard in over 10 years.

"M-m-ma ma?"

A woman in an apron with a spatula her in hand came out of the kitchen.

"Who are you!"

No matter the length of time that had passed, Sachiko could still remember the face of her mother. The face that now confronted her with a puzzled look. It was her mother as Sachiko remembered her, every single detail unchanged since she day she died.

Sachiko's eyes widened. This was impossible!

"I said, 'Who are you!'"

"Mrs Taji?"

The woman frowned, "How do you know my name?"

Sachiko opened her mouth to come up with some kind of plausible excuse. However, the fear and confusion that was building up inside did not allow her to say anything other than, "I - I'm Sachiko, your daughter."

The woman, her mother, frowned and then the frown deepened into anger. At the corner of her eye, Sachiko saw that the woman was no longer carrying a spatula, but a knife.

"You are NOT my daughter! My daughter isn't a whore!"

The woman took a lunge at Sachiko, knife stabbing downwards into her soft flesh. As she tipped backwards from the blow, she felt her breath turn cold and saw the ground split beneath her feet. The woman continued to stab at Sachiko, her faced turned from a creamy beige into the putrid green of a fiend.

Then the ground opened up as she felt the last of her warm breath leave her mortal body. She fell into the darkness into heat and fire and the screams of the souls of the damned. As the heat scorched her skin, Sachiko felt her clothes burn away and heavy chains, formed of some noxious, shadowy substance formed around her neck.

She landed on her knees before a slimy demon with blue-gray flesh that seemed to be in the process of decay. The demon's grating laughter crackled in her ear as he pulled her by a length of thick, ebony chain towards him.

"Welcome to the rest of eternity, worm," the demon's forked tongue flicked and hissed, making his words seem all the more sinister.

Sachiko smelt her own skin burning as she was dragged across molten rock to the stony platform where the putrid demon stood. The heat was so intense that it was possible to see wavering ripples in the air around them.

"Why?" Sachiko choked out her response.

"Why? Why?" the demon laughed. "The paradise of the heavenly realms has no place for a soiled woman."

"No! It's not fair!"

The monster yanked her so that she flew through the air and landed at his feet. Flicking his tongue in her face, he spat, "Of course it is. You asked for it."

"No, I did not!"

"You did the moment you decided to bind your fate with that ruffian husband of yours."

"It's not..."

"No? You knew he was trouble the moment you laid eyes on him," the demon hissed. "Your father warned you didn't he? But did you listen?"

"No! NO! It didn't happen like that!" she screamed, shaking her head desperately.

"Even after your father's death, there were opportunities for you to leave him, but did you? You could have said no and walked out on your useless Hibiki when he started beating you, but you did not."

The demon forced Sachiko down onto the stony surface and mounted her. She felt the creature push something large and slimy in between her legs and into her body. Although she could not see it, she could feel black tendrils working their way deep into the recesses of her soul.

"In the end," the demon's words dripped with venom. "You made the choice to pay for his mistakes. That's why you were sent to me, to be my plaything forever. You deserve it."

_You deserve it..._

_...deserve it..._

_NO._

Deep inside her psyche, the dispassionate observer that watched Sachiko's entire life clenched her fist in anger. She rose out of the ethereal slip that was the woman's soul and moved through the different layers of consciousness till she was face to face with the demon.

"No."

The demon blinked in confusion. Such as thing had never happened to him before.

"So what if I made all the decisions that brought me here..." Sachiko felt a strange fire sparking off inside of her.

"So what if I'm a filthy woman cast away by heaven..." the fire inside of her grew hotter with each word she spoke.

"So what if my soul is indeed blacker than the pits of hell..." the fire now burned with the intensity of a sun.

The thing that was inside of her burst forth, turning her fingers and flesh into a living inferno.

"I don't have to lie here listening to a maggot that both heaven and earth cast aside!"

With a viciousness that was eerily natural to her, Sachiko thrust her flaming fingers into the skull of the demon. She felt the tongues of fire reach into his mind and pull at the black stuff that must surely be the demon's soul.

"We are both equally damned. Denied forever the joys of the celestial paradise. That makes us both monsters. But, I KNOW that I'm better than YOU. I walked the road, I chose the fate, however unknowingly, I came here through my own doing."

"YOU... on the other hand, did not choose. You were made a monster, an affront to both gods and mortals, and an abortion in the face of creation. Apart from inflicting evil wherever you go, what other purpose have you?"

"You are nothing! A finger puppet of the universe. A glitch of fate."

The clarity and vehemence of her words surprised Sachiko. She had no idea that she was capable of such malice and wasn't too sure why she said what she did.

The demon screamed in agony at her words. Something she said seemed to have touched a nerve. Determined to press her advantage, Sachiko grabbed a firm hold of whatever it was she was feeling inside the demon's mind, and ripped it apart.

Suddenly the firestorm around her began to swirl like a reflection on a puddle of water going down a drainpipe. She found herself releasing the demon as both of them fell into a quiet blackness without sound or form.

"Heh. That's something you don't see everyday, eh, Kanna?"

Hearing a human voice, Sachiko quickly opened her eyes. A young man with jet-black hair and red eyes was gazing downwards at her.


	9. The Demon's Loyal Servant

_Disclaimer: I don't own "Inuyasha"._

_Word Translations:  
Youkai - demon  
Taiyoukai - great demon  
Hanyou - half-demon  
Ningen - human  
Kami - deity  
Miko – priestess  
__Yukata – a kind of light, informal kimono_

* * *

Sachiko wriggled her fingers, then tried to move her hand. But it was impossible to loosen the strange, sticky substance that glued her wrists together behind her back. She reckoned that a few days had passed since she awoke and found herself in a dark dungeon imprisoned, immobile in a wad of sticky, resin-like material that seemed to drip down from the ceiling and well up from the floor. Around this strange mess was a circle scrawled with strange markings.

She had no recollection of how she got here. The last memory she had was of waking up from a hellish vision and staring into the face of a young man with midnight black hair and red eyes. He said something to someone called Kanna and then she blacked out again and found herself in this resin cocoon unable to move or speak as the sticky resin hardened over her mouth, but she could still breathe freely and blink her eyes.

Rolling her eyes side to side to get as wide a view of the room as she could from her peripheral vision, she soon noticed that a darker splotch of shadow in a corner seemed to be moving. After a few moments, the shadow seemed to lengthen and grow in size. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Sachiko realized that it was the figure of a man getting up from a sitting position. The man moved out of the gloomy corner and stood before her.

She knew straight away from his piercing red eyes that he was a demon. Although he did not have the regal majesty of the silver-haired demon lord that she had met before, there was a certain unearthly quality to his handsome features. Beautiful dark locks framed his pale face as he moved with deliberate steps towards her. There was a distinct air of danger about him and a certain darkness that caused Sachiko's insides to curl up a bit.

He stopped a few feet from her and brought an elegant hand up to his perfectly formed chin. "I had thought at first that some kind of unknown demon had fallen prey to my Kanna. When I saw that my first assumption was untrue, I started to wonder if I had caught a miko or a human with holy powers. However, that doesn't seem to be the case. I then began to wonder if I had a celestial being in my hands, but you don't look at all like an immortal maiden from the world of the gods…"

"So I must confess, I Naraku, am stumped. WHAT on earth are you?" he waved a hand, and the hardened resin that covered her mouth dissolved into mist. "I naturally assumed that you might be able to cast a charm were you able to speak. I now see that that is not the case as well."

"You may now answer my question."

Sachiko coughed as her mouth was freed and air rushed in.

"Sachiko," she rasped.

The dark haired demon squinted. "I suppose that means that you are no more or less than an ordinary woman?"

Sachiko frowned. She found this line of questioning odd. If she was indeed in hell, the demons would surely know that she was one of the dead.

"Am I in hell?"

The young man laughed, "Now why would you think that?"

"You ARE indeed a demon?"

"Indeed that is what I am."

"Then I'm not dead?"

"Not yet," the demon who called himself Naraku grinned, "But you are getting close to joining the ranks of fallen mortals."

"I…" Sachiko's mind flashed back to the night she ran from members of the yakuza who were chasing her, and then to when she killed the grey demon. "I don't want to die."

"Well, there is no reason for me to keep you alive… apart from the fact that I personally find you rather amusing."

"Serve…"

"What?" Naraku wasn't sure he had heard it right.

"I will serve… If I serve you… if I swear loyalty to you… will you spare my life?" she rasped hoarsely.

The dark haired demon laughed. Although many had begged him to spare their lives, no one, mortal or demon had ever offered to swear allegiance to him.

"Very well then, you will serve," he grinned. "As it turns out, I am in need of someone to look after my catatonic infant companion. After all, Kanna's skills are wasted as a nursemaid."

Sachiko was released and immediately put in charge of the infant, who was indeed in a catatonic state. The male child did not respond to anything that she did. Sachiko assumed that the lavender-haired child was also some kind of demon, perhaps one that took the form of an innocent babe to lure the unwary. It was clear to her from the outset that this little creature was very valuable to Naraku and that should anything happen to him, her life would be worth very little indeed to the dark-haired demon. It was also clear to her that there wasn't any kind of father-son relationship between Naraku and the child, but one of cautious toleration.

Apart from the pale Kanna, Sachiko soon met the rest of Naraku's retinue. Kagura, the pretty demoness with a large fan, rolled her eyes as soon as she met Sachiko. She completely ignored the petite woman and was often out on some kind of mission for Naraku. Then there was Kohaku, a strange, silent human lad who only talked when spoken to by Naraku or Kagura and who often spent his days staring blankly ahead. Although he was assigned to guard Sachiko and the babe, he never spoke to her, unless it was necessary to communicate. Quietly observing him when he thought she wasn't looking, Sachiko wondered if he was indeed as much of a zombie as he made himself out to be.

After a week or two with Naraku, she guessed that the demon probably had a lot of enemies and was constantly moving from place to place. Although they sometimes traveled long distances through countryside that showed signs of battle, the dark-haired demon apparently had a few large, but completely deserted mansions that he rotated his stay around. She also found out that Naraku could assume various forms, particularly the form of a strange bloated beast that seemed to be a mishmash of many different youkai. Even though that form was shocking at first, it didn't stop her from ducking and running when they were ambushed by a group of demons who seemed to be looking for something that Naraku was in possession of.

Naraku on the other hand seemed completely amused by her reaction to his own monstrous nature. She didn't scream her head off when she saw him shape-change into a weird blob with awful tentacles and certainly didn't cower after he had brutally ripped the heads of a group of wandering bandits who had thought the group easy prey.

"So tell me, woman," the dark-haired demon remarked as he licked the blood left by the bandits off his fingers. "Are you not… afraid?"

"Why should I be afraid?" Despite feeling the hairs on her arm stand, Sachiko was determined not to let Naraku see her fear. "I assume have not done anything to deserve your anger."

"I KNOW you are afraid… I can sense these things," he smirked. "How is it then that you are not… cowering or screaming your head off?"

"If you wish for me to cower or scream, I shall do so," she replied. "But I thought that it would better serve your purpose if I remained calm and do my utmost to protect this infant. After all, if you did desire my death, no matter what I did, there is nowhere I can run to to save myself."

Naraku threw a casual glance at Sachiko as she lightly rocked the infant. "Of course… as you say."

They didn't speak much after that, and continued their journey through the countryside in silence. However, Sachiko noticed that the demon started to scrutinize her a little more closely after that.

As they traveled, the terrain started to become more hilly with thicker undergrowth. They were heading to a fortress that Naraku maintained up on the ridge of a mountain. Halfway through the journey, the group split up, leaving only Kohaku with Sachiko and the child. As she did not know the way to the demon's mountain fortress, she followed Kohaku, who silently led the way through the dense forest undergrowth. As they prodded on slowly, her eyes following Kohaku's back, Sachiko noticed that there were frequent occasions when the boy's steps slowed to a crawl and his shoulders stiffened, almost as if he were considering something. Finally, after a few long hours, he stopped in his tracks.

"Kohaku?"

The boy turned, weapon in hand and stared straight at the child that Sachiko was carrying. His eyes were no longer glazed, but filled with the anger and anxiety of a person going through a terrible inner struggle.

Suddenly, a strange sound blared to their right, and a huge monstrous creature that resembled a bear lunged at them. With lightning reflexes, Kohaku somersaulted away. Screaming and ducking a massive blow from the monstrous bear youkai, Sachiko ran as quickly as she could in the direction she was facing. In that split second, she had glanced back at Kohaku and was sure she saw a look of relief in the boy's face.

She kept running and did not stop until she was out of breath. Then she fell to her knees and crawled behind a tree. Looking from behind her tree, she saw that she had completely lost sight of the bear youkai and Kohaku as well. She waited for a bit, wondering if the lad would eventually find her, but after about 20 minutes, she got up and wondered if she should call out to the boy at all.

Swallowing hard, she got up from her position behind the tree and turned in the direction that she thought the fortress was at. Nervously, she stepped forward, and was about to call out Naraku's name when she spotted a strange shape lying in the clearing ahead of her. Quietly, she slipped forward to investigate and found herself staring at a strangely armoured woman with what appeared to be a gigantic broken boomerang lying beside her. Since the woman appeared to be unconscious, Sachiko strapped the infant youkai to her back and gently turned the woman so that she was lying face up. As she did that, the woman groaned and opened her eyes.

"Hel…p…" the woman struggled to sit up despite the blood flowing from her wounds. Sachiko quickly caught hold of her as she stood up on shaky legs.

"Go…" she rasped. "We have to go… youkai…"

Sachiko nodded and supported the woman as she limped along, struggling to keep her head up as she moved slowly through the dense forest. They moved together for quite awhile, before they came upon an abandoned hut. Quickly, Sachiko moved the woman into the building and lay her down on whatever was left of a straw mat. After finding a basket for the infant, she pulled it into a corner, far away from the woman and then went outside with a leaky bucket that was in the hut to find some water.

As day turned into night, Sachiko cleaned and bandaged the woman's wounds with cloth torn from a sleeve of her peasant's outfit. She made a fire and closed whatever remained of the door to the hut. Although unconscious, the strange young woman was breathing normally. Occasionally, she checked on the infant. The lavender eyed babe stared at her with unblinking eyes, obviously in some kind of coma, but in very good health.

After a few hours, she heard the young woman cough. Finding a cracked bowl, she offered the woman some water. The dark-haired woman coughed again as she sipped the water then stopped and looked at her with eyes that seemed to belong to a much older person.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"It's no matter."

"I am Sango, who are you?"

"Sachiko."

"I am sorry for putting you in danger," she said.

"Travellers on the road have to look out for each other," Sachiko smiled at her pretty young woman, whose face was pale from the loss of blood.

"Is that your child?" Sango glanced at the basket in the corner.

"Yes. We are traveling to meet his father," Sachiko tried not to blink as she lied through her teeth.

"It's nice to have family."

"Yes it certainly is… do you have any family, Sango?"

Her question caused tears to fall from the young woman's eyes. It didn't take long for Sachiko to find out that this Sango was a demon hunter and that her family was killed by a certain notorious demon that sounded a lot like Naraku.

"I think I have heard of a demon like that," she remarked cautiously.

"Oh?"

"There was this attack by a fearsome demon on a village near where I live. The survivors said that he was called 'Naraku'," Sachiko observed Sango's reaction from the corner of her eye.

The young woman's face contorted instantly when hearing the name. With a demon's strength, she grabbed hold of Sachiko's yukata and demanded, "Where is he! Where did you see him!"

Gently but firmly, Sachiko pushed Sango's hands away. "I did not see this demon, Naraku. I heard about him from the surviving villagers."

"So you have said," Sango sighed. "Forgive me for my rudeness."

Sachiko nodded and smiled. She prodded Sango for more information and found that with a bit of water and a kindly smile, she managed to get the young woman started on a long tale about how she and her companions fought Naraku, and how she had lost her brother Kohaku to him. As Sango talked about the Shikon no Tama, or the Jewel of Four Souls, and how it was related to her brother, Sachiko finally understood the struggle she had witnessed in Kohaku's eyes.

"I suppose my story is pretty fanciful," Sango laughed softly.

"Not at all," Sachiko smiled.

"You know, if I had a choice, I don't want to die like this," she coughed again, staring ahead at the thatched roof of the hut. "Fighting youkai… like Kagome."

"You won't die." Certainly, her conversation with Sango was proving most enlightening. She now had an idea who it was that she had seen in the silver-haired demon lord's prison. "I am sure that whatever good kami are out there would protect people like you."

"You are a good person, Sachiko."

Sachiko smiled as Sango eventually fell asleep from exhaustion. As dawn approached, she wondered what she was going to do with the demon hunter.

"They're here!" a familiar female voice rang out.

Although she did not get a wink of sleep, Sachiko ran to the door and flung it open. Standing in the doorway, a surprised Kagura threw up her fan in surprise. A short distance away, she saw Naraku, Kanna and Kohaku making their way towards her. Kohaku seemed to have resumed his zombie-like composure.

"Who's that in the hut with you, mortal?" Kagura was peering into the hut with her beady red eyes.

Before Sachiko could answer, Kagura pushed her aside and marched in.

"What is it, Kagura?" Naraku was now at the door.

"It's the demon hunter," Kagura was grinning as she stooped beside the sleeping Sango. "She's unconscious and won't resist a killing blow."

"She's yours…"

"WAIT!" Sachiko flung herself over the still unconscious demon slayer. The pause that followed her action seemed to last an eternity.

The dark-haired demon frowned in disdain. "I thought you liked being alive, woman."

"I … I do this for your sake… master."

"Oh-ho, I am your master now am I? I haven't heard that from you yet!" Well, it was true. Sachiko had managed to refrain from actually calling him her master.

"You were my master since the day I swore loyalty to you," Despite whatever she was feeling, she knew that she had only one chance to save the demon slayer.

Naraku laughed quietly. "So explain to me, 'loyal servant', how saving the life of this wretched demon slayer is in my best interest."

"If you kill her, you destroy the only chance you have of completely eliminating two of your most dangerous enemies!" the words were hurriedly blurted out, and Sachiko wasn't too sure what her line of argument was.

"Oh and WHO might they be?"

"This woman, and…" it was an act of betrayal, but if she did not do it, there would soon be two very dead women on the ground. She pointed at the lad, whose shaking hand was on the grip of his weapon.

Sachiko had hoped that Kohaku could maintain his composure. But, as luck would have it, Naraku instantly spotted the lad's shaking hand on the grip of his weapon. Swiftly, the demon grabbed the boy by his neck and lifted him off the ground.

"Ha! I knew it!" he squeezed the boy's neck hard enough to cause Kohaku to pass out.

"NO! NO! You can end this!" Sachiko silently cursed her ill luck.

"Indeed! Once I kill them both, I would have 2 less enemies to contend with!"

"NO! I mean you can get rid of ALL your enemies at once!"

Naraku frowned, adding sarcastically, "We have a genius in our hands! HOW would YOU accomplish what I, Naraku, have failed to do?"

"By redirecting your enemies' focus."

That last sentence seemed to catch the demon's attention, "I am intrigued by what you have proposed. Explain yourself."

"For it to work, I will need to speak in private with you…master." Sachiko noticed a slight upturning of the demon's mouth. He seemed amused when she abased herself before him.

She turned towards the demon. Kneeing she bowed low to him, head touching the ground. "I beg of you… master. Spare this lad and the demon slayer till you have heard me out. If my explanation does not please you… you may then slay… all of us."

Naraku roared with laughter. "So you are also a gambler! Very well then, I shall let my most loyal 'general' 'advise' me!"

He dropped the unconscious Kohaku on the ground.


	10. Incredible Propositions

_Disclaimer: I don't own "Inuyasha"._

_I decided to change the descriptor to this story because the more this story progressed, the less the original description made sense… at least to the casual reader who only browses the first three of so chapters. This is still going to be a Sesshoumaru fanfic, but certainly not the sort where he humps out on every single page. It will take some time for the full story to unfold._

_I kinda decided to do a major updating of the story at this time because it might be some time again before I am struck by inspiration to continue this tale._

_Word Translations:  
Youkai - demon  
Taiyoukai - great demon  
Hanyou - half-demon  
Ningen - human  
Kami - deity  
Miko – priestess  
__Shikon no Tama – the Jewel of Four Souls. The same jewel that everyone is after in the series._

_

* * *

_

Kagura shifted her feet under her curled legs for the umpteenth time. She didn't bother to hide the bored look on her face as she slowly fanned herself. Turning her head, she glanced at her sister Kanna sitting silently with her mirror and usual blank expression. Staring upwards next at the dimly-lit rafters of the room, she wondered how long humans could sustain a conversation without having to take any kind of a break.

Although Naraku and that strange mortal woman, Sachiko were speaking softly behind a semi-transparent curtain of woven reeds at the far end of the room, the wind sorceress did not have to strain if she wanted to catch any part of that conversation. Her keen demon ears would have picked up a word whispered on the wind a mile away. However, she yawned and rolled her eyes. She was sure that no matter what kind of proposal that crazy ningen female tried to sell to him, Naraku would somehow end up killing her before the night was over. That was the way Naraku was. He would never allow anyone to tell him what to do.

Eventually, after a long while, she saw the human female quickly scribble down a few things on a sheet of paper with a brush and slide it over to Naraku.

"Feh… she can read and write as well. When was that ever a skill for a whore," the wind sorceress muttered. Sensing that the very long conversation was at an end, she folded her fan and concentrated on the events behind the reed curtain.

Naraku briefly scanned the words that Sachiko had written and then folded the paper.

"I find your plan and notions ridiculous, although it is bold and imaginative." There was a slight expression of disdain as he slid the folded paper into the folds of his clothing.

"I assure you… master, that you will come out of this with a distinct advantage," Sachiko's voice was low but firm.

"I MIGHT decide NOT to go ahead with this plan. Maybe I MIGHT just decide to kill you for wasting my time," the dark haired demon stared straight into her eyes as he made his threat, the corner of his mouth upturned in an expression that many of his victims witnessed before gasping their last breath.

"If that is to be my fate, then I accept it," Sachiko bowed, and then glanced upward into the eyes of the dark-haired demon. "But, you would leave this place without ever knowing if you had somehow given up the best chance you have ever had to completely neutralize your enemies."

Naraku arched his brow at her bold statement and leaned back. "Suppose I do this…"

"No matter how this matter is concluded, you will still emerge with an advantage over them," the petite woman quickly interjected.

"And THAT, my dear fragile human, is the only part of the plan that I like."

"The decision is yours… my master."

A smirk appeared on the demon's face. He quickly got up and motioned for Kanna to enter. The ice-white child picked up a bundle that was resting quietly beside her. She walked past the reed curtain and handed the youkai infant to Sachiko. Naraku strode towards the sliding doors without so much as a backward glance.

"I think I shall enjoy proving you wrong, ningen."

"I'm surprised he let you live," the wind sorceress remarked as soon as the demon left the room.

* * *

Sango felt horribly stiff when she woke up. She looked around the dilapidated hut for the peasant woman that saved her life but only found an empty, dusty corner. Slowly she felt around for some support and pulled herself up with the help of a piece of wood that served well as a kind of crude crutch. Limping painfully outside, she called out the woman's name.

"Sachiko…"

She hobbled around looking and calling for about 10 minutes before plopping down in exhaustion on the sump of a fallen tree. Then she noticed it, the sudden rush of air and the sound of light feet leaping from one slender branch to another. Sango turned around just in time to catch a glimpse of a man wearing the skin of a baboon land gracefully onto the ground.

"Naraku!"

"So we meet again, demon slayer."

"What have you done with that peasant woman and her son!"

"Peasant woman? Son?" Naraku laughed. "I saw no one matching that description."

Sango grimaced as her muscles tensed. The pain from her injuries was starting again. Although it did seem like he was telling the truth, she didn't know if he could be believed.

"I… I will kill you where you stand!"

The dark-haired demon rolled his eyes behind the baboon mask. There was a ready jeer on his tongue for such a scenario, but he resisted the urge to speak it.

"Save your strength. I have not come to fight you. In fact, I am here with a proposition that you will find interesting."

"I will have no dealings with the likes of YOUR KIND!"

Again Naraku resisted the urge to bring up the fact that two of her closest friends were a hanyou and a kitsune. This slayer was certainly testing his patience.

"I have decided to release your little brother… Kohaku. I am sure you are looking forward to meeting him," he decided that the direct approach would cut down on any useless banter.

The demon slayer stared wide-eyed at him.

"In fact, I will release him to you, alive, with the fragment from the Shikon no Tama sustaining his life."

"What…"

"As it turns out, I am in SUCH a generous mood, I have decided to remove that awful wind tunnel from the hand of the monk."

"W…What evil scheme are you planning!" the demon slayer could hardly believe her ears.

"There is no 'wicked' scheme. No, I only ask for a simple favour in return. That you, your brother and the monk enter into a sacred oath with me. In this oath, the three of you will swear on behalf of yourself and all of your descendants, to end this vendetta between us. That is, none of you will pursue or attempt to harm me in any way for all eternity…"

"If you think…"

"OF COURSE, I, Naraku will also abide by the same oath and not harm you, or your descendants. Should any party decide to break the oath, that same party will be struck by lightning and torn into a thousand pieces."

Sango could not believe what she was hearing.

"It is a very good deal. I suggest that you discuss it with the monk before giving me your answer. You have one week to decide."

"B…but the jewel…"

"That piffling trinket? I have decided that it is no longer worth my time to go chasing after it."

Before the demon slayer could either accuse or question him further, the dark-haired demon leapt upwards into the canopy of trees and vanished. About half an hour later, Sango heard the voice of the monk as he came running towards her from the dense forest with the little kitsune.

* * *

**2 Days Later…**

A sweet breeze blew over the countryside and caught itself in the silky, white hair of a hanyou. The half-demon was sitting up on a grassy cliff, watching the full moon. A tear fell from his amber eyes, but he did not wipe it away. He had recently been spending many days like this, wandering alone in the forest near the dry well, staring up into the starry sky during the night. Miroku had left some days ago with the little kitsune to look for Sango. He tried to get the hanyou to follow him, but nothing would move Inuyasha from the forest near the village where he first met Kikyo and where he spend so many glorious days with Kagome.

As the whisper of her name entered his thoughts, tears started to roll down his eyes.

"Damn!" he whispered and rubbed them away with his sleeve.

Kagome was dead, and it wasn't even from a fight with Naraku. She had died from in battle with some lesser demon. It seemed as though Fate were laughing at him - at both of them. In all the time they were together, he never really had the chance to really tell her how he felt.

"Ahem… excuse me."

With inhuman speed, the hanyou leapt to his feet and drew Tetsuaiga. The sword grew into a huge steel blade in his hands as he turned in the direction of the sound. Inuyasha silently cursed himself for being so preoccupied in his own miserable thought that he did not notice that someone was nearby. A short distance away, he saw a petite woman in a simple silk kimono.

The woman did not approach, but bowed in greeting. "Greetings Inuyasha, I am Sachiko Taji and I have come to speak with you on an important matter."

"How is it that you know me?"

"Please put aside your sword Inuyasha-san and I will answer your question."

The hanyou sheathed his blade and stood with his hands at his sides. He knew he could draw Tetsuaiga fast enough if he was threatened with any kind of ambush.

"I speak for Naraku. That …"

As soon as the name rolled off her tongue, she heard a growl from the hanyou. "Who on earth are you! You don't smell like one of Naraku's wretched 'creations'"

The petite woman sighed inwardly. "No, I am completely human. Like your friends Sango and Miroku. However, I speak for Naraku and I'm here to…"

"Where is that fiend!" the hanyou growled loudly, the bones of his claws cracked audibly as he flexed them before her.

"Not nearby… I assure you," Sachiko cursed inwardly. She had no idea how to get this hot-blooded youth to listen to her for a minute. "I am here to offer you a…"

"I DON'T WANT ANYTHING HE'S OFFERING!"

"KAGOME!" she reckoned if she yelled loud enough she would somehow catch Inuyasha's attention. "HE CAN BRING BACK KAGOME!"

This really caught the hanyou's attention. Lacking any form of subtlety, his jaw dropped in amazement for a few seconds before he resumed his former demeanor.

"How do I know you are telling the truth, woman. It doesn't seem like Naraku to allow a ningen to 'speak for him' "

"I thought you might ask that." Finally, she was getting somewhere. She waved her hand in the air and waited. A strong breeze suddenly blew hard against them and rustled the nearby trees. In the swift blinking of an eye, the beautiful Kargura appeared, fan held aloft. Inuyasha quickly drew his blade.

"STOP THIS!"

Inuyasha, and even the usually composed Kagura were stunned. The wind sorceress had never heard the petite woman speak in such a commanding tone. She folded her fan quickly.

"Yes, yes, hanyou, it's all true. I have no idea why he would choose her to speak for him on this matter, but if you want your miko back, you had best listen to what she has to say."

Inuyasha growled.

Seeing that the half-demon was unwilling to relax his stance, Sachiko sighed and wondered if it was at all possible to convince him to go along with her proposal.

"Naraku is able to restore Kagome to you. No, he is not responsible for her… 'death'. In return for bringing her back, he wishes to enter a sacred oath with you. In this oath, you will swear for yourself and on behalf of all your descendants to end all vendetta with him. This means that neither you nor your descendants will harm him in any way… "

"IF YOU THINK THAT I'M GOING TO SWEAR THAT!..."

"I SAID…" Sachiko was starting to get a pretty good idea why Naraku didn't want to negotiate with the hanyou directly. "HE WILL ENTER THE SAME OATH WITH YOU! HE AGREES TO NOT HARM YOU LEST HE BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING AND TORN INTO A THOUSAND PIECES. SAME APPLIES TO YOU AND YOUR DESCENDANTS!"

"Are we CLEAR about this?" She was really getting hoarse from all that shouting.

It took Sachiko another hour of shouting and explaining before the half-demon fully understood the proposal and its implications.

"What about Kikyo? What if he harms her?" the hanyou's voice was soft when he spoke her name.

"Ah. He did mention that you would bring her up. He will also swear not to harm her UNLESS she harms him first. Naraku has no interest in destroying Kikyo at all. However, it is only fair that he be allowed to defend himself IF she decides to attack."

"This is NOT acceptable!" Inuyasha punched his fist into a nearby tree.

"They are fair terms, Inuyasha-san," Sachiko's voice was flat and impassive. "As I see it, you have to decide who you want with you. Kagome, who is the rightful incarnation of the priestess Kikyo, Or 'Kikyo' who is apparently a being raised from the clay of her grave and animated with a portion of Kagome's soul… "

"I personally am surprised that Kagome hasn't demanded that portion of soul back from 'Kikyo' or tried to find out more about what kind of being 'Kikyo' really is. After all, if Kagome is indeed the original miko reborn, then WHO on earth is this 'Kikyo' that is running around? If Kagome took back her soul portions from the animated 'Kikyo' won't SHE be the real priestess, body and spirit? What then would that creature of clay be?"

Inuyasha could hardly look at Sachiko. He hung his head as he cursed his fate and everything in general under his breath. No one had ever laid out the facts for him in that manner. He had wanted to yell at her to shut up, but he could not. He knew that she spoke the truth.

Sachiko informed the hanyou that an answer was expected in two days before departing with the wind sorceress.


	11. Oaths And Declarations

_Disclaimer: I don't own "Inuyasha"._

_Word Translations:  
Youkai - demon  
Taiyoukai - great demon  
Hanyou - half-demon  
Ningen - human  
Kami - deity  
Miko – priestess  
__Shikon no Tama – the Jewel of Four Souls. The same jewel that everyone is after in the series._

_

* * *

_

**1 Day After Sachiko's Meeting With Inuyasha…**

Kagome curled up her legs and pulled them towards her chest as she sat chained to the centre of the stone circle. The problem with suspended stone platforms was that there wasn't a single corner she could huddle into. And Kagome certainly needed somewhere where she could be alone with her thoughts.

For the past 3 weeks, she started feeling real fear. Although her capture and imprisonment by the taiyoukai was terrifying enough, it was rather mild considering what she knew of his tolerance level for the entire human race. True enough, she was surprised to find out that he commanded a formidable retinue of youkai, but even that wasn't something that was completely shocking. After all, there had to be some… being or beings out there who made and mended his beautiful silk kimono and kept his stately armour in good shape.

However, 3 weeks ago, the taiyoukai started acting strangely. He would sit on the platform staring at her for hours when he thought she was sleeping. Once, she even caught him trying to touch her cheek with his awful poisoned talons when her eyes were closed. However, he still remained rude and abrasive whenever they had their 'conversations'. He seemed to be looking for something that he thought she had. Kagome had tried confronting him about it in one of their numerous shouting matches, but as soon as she broached the topic, the demon lord clammed up and simply left. She then started calling him a coward and demanded to know what his agenda was. She expected him to explode with rage and deliver a hard blow to her cheek. Instead, he glared at her for the longest time, his crimson rage almost flooding his golden eyes, before he stomped off. He did not say a word, not even a rebuke. In fact, he had decided to completely ignore her insults. He just stood silent and impassive and waited for her to finish her tirade or run out of breath.

Then, two days ago, the thing that truly frightened her occurred.

It was night, or so she thought. She had no idea what time it was outside since she was kept in a cave that was most likely located deep underground. She had curled up on the hard stone of the platform to get some sleep when she heard a strange soft growl from behind her. Quietly rolling her eyes before shutting them in annoyance, she wished Sesshoumaru would just tell her what he wanted instead of staring at her sleeping form. However, unlike the other times, the growling did not stop, but got closer and closer till she could feel his body heat on her back.

Feeling annoyed and a little alarmed, she swiftly turned around to confront him and found herself staring into the taiyoukai's bloodshot eyes. Before she could make another move, he pounced on her, pinning her to the ground with his body weight and one good arm. Terror rose like a cold stream from her stomach to her throat and she tried to scream, but found that she could not. The intense fear she felt had choked the voice from her. She glanced up at Sesshoumaru and found herself staring at his razor sharp fangs. His mouth was half open as he lunged at her throat.

Kagome gasped weakly and waited for the end. Then she felt it, the warm sensation of him rubbing his nose on the back of her neck, his soft, dry tongue lightly brushing and tickling her sensitive neck hairs. The tone of his growl changed to something that resembled a contented purr.

"No," she gasped weakly. "Sess… Sesshoumaru… no..."

He didn't seem to notice her gasping whisper at first, until her tears fell. Then suddenly he stopped and quickly lifted himself off of her body as though he had snapped out of a trance. There was an expression of abject horror on his face as he gazed downwards into her eyes. He carefully reached out to touch her tear-stained face, but she shrunk back from him in fear. Quickly snatching back his hand, Sesshoumaru turned and left, never looking back.

He did not come back to see her after that, and she was glad for it. Truth to tell, she preferred dealing with the rude, arrogant dog demon that she had met when she first drew Tetsusaiga from its resting place. Although an indomitable foe in the field of combat, at least she knew how he was going to react.

A small thought regarding what had transpired between them started to seep into her conscious mind, but she quickly brushed it aside. She was only a teenager after all and she was hell bent on keeping things that complicated her life out of her mind. Kagome hugged her knees even tighter, determined to stay resolute despite her fears of that terrifying night. She had hardly slept a wink since then.

Her reverie was broken by the sounds of fighting coming from the corridor that led to her platform. She quickly rose to her feet.

"Inuyasha," she whispered, smiling and expectant.

Unfortunately, it was not the loud brash hanyou that burst through the opening into her chamber. Instead, a rather tall human swathed in a dark cloak with a hood that hid his face leapt from the landing onto her platform. He ran over to Kagome and grabbed the chain that was attached to her leg, snapping it as though it were a twig.

There was a tremendous burst of light when the enchanted chain broke. The miko gave a little shriek and fell to her right, but before she could land on the hard stone floor, she felt strong, graceful arms catch a hold of her and lift her from the platform. The next few minutes were a blur as her vision had been clouded by the blinding light. However, she heard the sounds of fighting and the roar of demons. Then there was a deep gloomy darkness as she felt the cloaked being run swiftly through the forest. At one point, she managed to turn her head so that she caught a view of a full moon in a sky sparkling with stars. She also started to notice the pungent smell of some kind of herbal substance hitting her nostrils. It seemed to originate from her rescuer.

They moved for quite awhile before the cloaked man sat her down on the stump of a tree in a secluded forest clearing.

"Who are you?"

With a single sweeping motion, Kagome's rescuer pulled off his cloak to reveal a very familiar handsome face that was framed with black, flowing locks.

"Naraku!"

'Bah, woman! That thing really stinks!'" he wrinkled his nose.

"Wha…?"

"I am not talking to you, miko," the demon turned to a dark patch of forest where, to Kagome's surprise, a completely human woman walked out from behind some trees.

"My apologies, master," the woman bowed. "It was necessary to prevent identification by the very discerning noses of the youkai in his stronghold. After all, we don't want you spark off any further enmity between you and Sesshoumaru."

Kagome's jaw dropped a little before she started scrutinizing this unknown human female. She wondered if the woman was some kind of priestess, just as Tsubaki the dark miko was. The woman moved into the clearing and stood to the side at equal distance from both Naraku and the girl. She turned to Kagome and bowed.

"I apologise if our hurried rescue has distressed you,"

Kagome was thrown off balance by the sincere tone in which this strange woman gave her apology. She felt an instinctive reflex to bow back and state her grateful thanks, but she did not and stood staring at the pair.

"Let us dispense with pleasantries, miko," the dark-haired demon began in a very business-like manner. "I have wrestled you from the dog demon's hands because of a proposition that I intend to convey to you."

"I won't deal with a liar like you, Naraku!" Kagome's voice was resolute.

"Regardless, you WILL still listen to what I have to say!"

"I don't have to!" Kagome stuck her fingers in her ears.

The strange woman and her erstwhile nemesis stared at her. After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, Kagome removed her fingers from her ears. She was starting to feel a little foolish under the calm and impassive stares coming from the pair.

"What do you want with me?"

"I offer to take you back safely to the hanyou and your friends, in return, you have to enter a sacred oath with me where you and I will both swear to end all enmity and vendetta between us for now and all eternity. I will also swear not to harm your descendants, if you would swear on their behalf not to harm or pursue me. Should either side break the agreement, the sacred oath will cause lightning to strike the offending party and tear him into a thousand pieces."

Kagome was truly caught off-guard by the proposal. Her eyes popped and mouth fell open as she struggled to comprehend what she was hearing, "How about all the lives you have destroyed by your evildoing! Do you think you can escape retribution for all of that!"

"I do not fear nor care about your perceived notions of 'retribution'," his voice was unnervingly calm. "I am a pragmatic being and I have decided that I will no longer live with the mistakes made by that thief Onigumo."

"But aren't you Onigumo?"

Naraku raised his eyebrow. "How little you understand, miko. I, Naraku, am the demon that was born from Onigumo's sacrifice of his body and soul. Although I have, for the longest time, been directed by the heart and desire of that lowly brigand, I am myself a separate entity from that despicable being. It has only been recently that the distinction has finally been made clear…"

He glanced at the blank look on Kagome's face and wondered if the miko was truly as ignorant as she appeared.

"Therefore," he paused for the dramatic effect. "I have decided to 'put things back as they should be' so to speak. I understand your reluctance to bind yourself to the vow that I have proposed. So I have decided to offer this… as well."

He pulled out an almost black Shikon no Tama from the folds of his robe.

"Enter into that oath with me and I will give you the Shikon. In your hands, I believe it will be purified in no time."

"W…what?" Kagome was speechless.

"Did you not hear me, mortal? I agree to relinquish the Shikon to you forever."

"But isn't that what you have always wanted!" she could not believe her ears.

"It is what Onigumo wanted, not I." he held out the Shikon to her. "You will need to make a decision now. Do you want this jewel or not?"

Kagome blinked furiously. The aura of the stone told her that it was indeed the real macoy.

"Wh… what evil are you up to this time! I won't be tricked by the likes of you," her gaze never moved from the stone.

"It is as I have plainly stated… your life, your freedom and the Shikon in exchange for your vow. Or… you will find yourself back in the dog demon's prison. I am SURE he will be 'pleased' to have you in his clutches again." There was a horrible smirk on Naraku's face as he coolly stated his threat.

Kagome recoiled at the thought of being back with the inscrutable Sesshoumaru. Somehow, being underneath Inuyasha's half-brother caused her insides to curl up.

"You WILL send me back safely to Inuyasha, right?"

"Upon the sacred oath, lest I be struck and torn into a thousand pieces," the dark-haired demon raised his hand sardonically as though he were swearing an oath.

They concluded the arrangement soon after with the strange woman handing out a scroll each to both Naraku and Kagome. In it, was a very carefully worded oath that both parties recited while clasping their hands together. Kagome sensed a rush of energies as she spoke the words. There was a tingling feeling in her hand and body as she felt the strange magic of the oath take effect.

She was still in a slight daze when she heard Naraku say, "It is done," and handed the Shikon over to her. In her hands, the dark miasma that clouded the jewel slowly faded. It would be some time before the jewel was entirely purified.

* * *

**1 Day After Rescuing Kagome And 2 Days After Meeting With Inuyasha…**

Despite his awful reluctance, the hanyou agreed to the terms stated by Sachiko when she went back to him for an answer. He did not even look at Naraku when they eventually met and clasped hands during the ritual. Once the ritual was over, he swiftly snatched his hand back from the dark-haired demon.

"Where is Kagome, fiend!"

"Remember the oath, hanyou…"

"Feh, I would gladly accept a thousand bolts of lightning if I find out that you have deceived me!" the half-demon was as brash as ever.

Naraku rolled his eyes, "Well, unlike you, I have no love for lightning."

With a wave of his hand, he caused a dense mist to appear around them. When it cleared, Inuyasha saw a sleeping Kagome on the ground, with the nearly complete Shikon no Tama on a cord around her neck.

Dumbfounded by this incredible sight, Inuyasha rushed to Kagome's side and did not even notice the departure of Naraku and his retinue.

* * *

**1 Week After Speaking With Sango…**

"I cannot believe that Naraku would give up a shard of the Shikon and Kohaku, just like that," Miroku had examined the proposal from all angles. He simply could not understand the demon's motives.

"Your curse would be ended. He said so himself," Sango didn't look up at him. The little kitsune that followed the monk on his search for the demon slayer, trotted over and hopped into her lap, hugging her as tightly as he could.

They fell silent for a moment, not daring to look each other in the eye.

"What are you going to do, Sango?" the monk asked.

Sango lightly stroked Shippo's hair. "We've been fighting for so long. How many years now is it?"

"And?"

"It seems every time we gain some kind of victory over that evil fiend, he seems to bounce back even stronger," her voice was soft and sad. "It didn't end in your father's time. Do you think it will end with us?"

"Sango…"

"I'm not youkai or kami… so I won't last forever," there were tears shining in the slayer's eyes. "But in whatever time I have left, I would like to have a family again…"

The monk's eyes widened. He went over intending to put a hand on her shoulder. However, before he could do so, a large gust of wind caught the sleeve of his robe and caused the trees to rustle noisily.

"Have you come to a decision?" a familiar voice spoke from behind Miroku.

The monk quickly turned around to face his dreaded nemesis. "What kind of trickery is this, demon!"

"There is no trickery, monk," wrapped in his familiar baboon skin, the dark-haired demon had come alone. "It is as I have said."

"Since when have mercy and compassion been your companions?" the sarcasm dripped heavily from Miroku's words.

"Since when have mercy and compassion NOT been a monk's preoccupation?"

Miroku frowned in confusion. Just what was the fiend's game plan?

Naraku rolled his eyes, "If you MUST know, my actions are not motivated by compassion in any form… I am a pragmatist, as I believe you are as well. And in recent months, it has dawned on me that I have little to gain from collecting and corrupting all the Shikon shards. The trouble that it has brought and continues to bring to all its keepers is simply not worth the time and effort it takes to assemble all the lost bits."

"Then WHY pursue it in the first place?" the monk quizzed.

"Alas, it was the heart and spirit of Onigumo, the human who sacrificed his body and soul, resulting in my creation… that drove me on this mad quest. Of late, I have finally dispensed of his influence over my actions."

"His influence?… Who are you?"

"I am Naraku, the demon born from the bargain that the thief Onigumo made with the dark powers of this world. I am myself a different and separate being from him. For the longest time, his heart and desire have held sway over my mind and actions. I am now attempting to disengage myself from this terrible karmic tangle that he has put himself into," the demon's words were clear and direct. "I am sure that as a monk, you appreciate the significance of what I am doing."

Miroku shifted his feet uneasily. Years of traveling around vanquishing demons on his own and later with Inuyasha and the others have pushed the tenets of his own belief far from his mind.

"You are… repenting?"

It took all the willpower that the demon had to stop himself from rolling his eyes.

"Call it what you will, monk. But know this. I am willing to do whatever it takes to end all bloodshed and vendetta between the three of us. After all, blood begets more blood and vengeance is a circle that never ends. You yourself know this to be true."

Alas, he was right. Miroku sighed. He never knew that forgiveness required so much willpower and the sacrifice of one's most intimate desires.

"I want this to stop. And I want Kohaku back," the tears were now running freely down Sango's eyes.

The monk's heart softened at the sight of her tears.

"Alas… alas… this is surely the product of some divine will. As such, I will not stand against it. I am willing to follow the path of compassion and end this vendetta with you," Miroku held out his hand to the dark-haired demon.

Naraku then summoned the wind sorceress who brought Sango's little brother to the meeting. Despite Kohaku's reluctance to enter into the sacred oath at first, Sango soon made him see things her way. The rituals for the oath were then performed and all the parties went on their separate ways as soon as they unclasped their hands.

* * *

**The Evening Of The Seventh Day Since All The Negotiations Began…**

Sachiko paced around the mossy glove as she quietly rocked the infant in her arms. She looked around and only saw the expressionless face of Kanna who was sitting on a rock, quietly waiting. Soon, a huge gust of wind shook the trees, and the all too familiar figure of Kagura descended to the ground.

"Is it done?"

"The monk, the exterminator and her brother were the last ones," Kagura closed her fan with a snap.

"And Naraku?"

"He arrived a moment ago. I think he went in that direction…" she pointed in a southward direction.

Sachiko handed the infant to Kanna and headed in the direction indicated by the demoness.

"I still can't believe he gave up the Shikon just like that," Kagura snapped her slender fingers. "I won't be surprised if he decides tomorrow that he wants it back."

Kanna gave no reply to that comment and Sachiko was already gone. Kagura flipped open her fan and stared at the starry night sky, "I am already starting to miss that Kohaku. At least he would say something some of the time."

Sachiko walked through the gloomy, green forest till she came to a clearing where a mass of huge rocks framed the most beautiful natural hot spring that she had ever seen. Peering through the steamy mist made luminescent in the light of the newly risen moon, Sachiko soon spotted Naraku's baboon skin cloak folded on a rock and its owner leaning against the rocky bank with his back towards her.

Seeing that it was an inappropriate time to disturb the demon, Sachiko decided to turn back.

"Come here, woman."

Padding softly on the mossy ground she came up directly behind Naraku, "I am sorry to have disturbed you."

There was no further response from the dark haired demon who did not even turn around. A deep silence ensued as Sachiko found herself staring at his black locks and strong, sculptured shoulders. Feeling awkward, she fidgeted a little, wondering how she could excuse herself politely.

"Do you know, woman… I have never visited a hot spring," he suddenly remarked, his back still turned towards her.

"Really?"

"I didn't think I would ever be able experience looking back and finding no enemies hot on my heels… Your insane plan has caused the unthinkable to happen."

Sachiko smiled, "It was nothing. They merely had to see that ending the vendetta was the best decision they could make."

"But it cost me the Shikon…"

"Which you never really needed," she quickly interjected. "Your will and mind have served you better than any magical trinket."

"That is true… However, it's funny I never noticed that until today. Still, the Shikon was a pretty powerful bauble…"

"Which every demon will now be chasing with a vengeance, since word that it has left your hands will probably be traveling around youkai circles," Sachiko reminded him. "I do not envy the miko and her friends."

Naraku laughed, "I suppose I can be quite frightening to scores of lowly demons... Are you also frightened of me, woman?"

"I RESPECT you… master."

"Is that so? In that case then, o respectful one, I would like for you to scrub my back," he handed her something that resembled a loofah.

Sachiko stared at the water, and then at the naked back of her demonic master.

"Well, hurry up and get in, you can't do much scrubbing kneeling on the bank," he snapped.

Swallowing hard, she quickly slipped off her kimono and slid into the water beside him on the side where his back was turned towards her. Although the steam rose thickly from the spring waters, it didn't offer much in the way of concealment. She still had a pretty good view of Naraku's perfectly muscled back and body as she started scrubbing him.

"There is the chance that the hanyou and his friends could reconstruct the entire jewel and break the sacred oath," the dark-haired demon remarked.

"That is unlikely to happen," the petite woman replied. "The demon slayer will not allow anyone to take the jewel fragment from the brother. And even if he did sacrifice himself for that, they will feel obliged to use the jewel to save him. However, I don't think that half-demon, Inuyasha, will allow anyone to take away his one chance of becoming a full demon."

"And even if he were to give up that notion entirely to please the miko, she would want him to use it and turn into a human being, so that they can be together… At least that is what I gather from my conversation with the exterminator."

Naraku chuckled, "I look forward to the day when they start fighting amongst themselves…"

"When there are so many opposed desires and only one jewel, conflict is inevitable."

The demon fell silent for a second, before adding, "You are really a devious woman. If the heart of onigumo were still in me, I might feel the need to kill you. The thief always suffered from a touch of insecurity…"

The comment caused Sachiko to freeze. "So it's true then," she quietly observed, "You and onigumo are two separate entities."

"While his heart remained in me, his wishes and desires were put ahead of mine," there was no hint of regret or anger in Naraku's voice, he was simply stating a fact.

"What are YOUR wishes and desires?" His previous comments still ringing in her mind, Sachiko hoped that killing her wasn't something he was secretly planning.

Looking upwards at the night sky, Naraku silently considered.

"I honestly do not know," he laughed. "However, I do have one desire…"

"And er… that would be…?" He really knew how to keep the nerves of others on edge.

Naraku turned around, causing Sachiko to jump back a little. The crystal clear water did nothing to conceal the contours of his beautifully formed body. Although the male form held no secrets for her, Sachiko's eyes grew wide as she took in the graceful, primal beauty of the being who now approached her.

Then quickly, she turned her head aside and backed away. She didn't move two steps before her back touched the surface of a large boulder. She searched around for somewhere else to duck to, but the dark-haired demon was faster, and blocked off her retreat by slamming both palms into the rocky wall on either side of her body. He then slid both hands behind her back and pulled her towards him. Putting up her hands, Sachiko tried to push him away, but was overcome by his superior strength. Naraku bent down and gently attempted to place his lips against hers, but her struggling made that impossible. He caught hold of the nape of her neck and crushed his mouth against hers, forcing her lips open with his tongue.

The passion behind his kiss caused Sachiko's knees to buckle. A part of her wanted to embrace the fury of his ardor and respond to the kiss. However, there was a small nagging voice deep down inside that stopped her. Something was horribly wrong and she could not shake the feeling that she had. She pushed against him with all of her strength and after awhile, he released her lips.

She braced herself for a stinging slap, but there was none. Instead, she felt his hand rubbing her back gently.

"I am sorry, this was rather sudden." The silky warmth in Naraku's voice was quite unlike anything she had ever heard from him.

"I… I'm…"

The dark-haired demon placed a finger lightly on her lips. "No need for words. It is I who should explain myself…"

"For some time now, I have found myself… drawn to you. I do not claim to understand the emotions that humans call 'Love', but I do know that I desire you from the depths of whatever soul I possess."

Sachiko had no words of reply for the declaration that she had heard. Anything she said at that point would simply be awkward. Silently, she stood with Naraku in the steamy pool, and allowed him to hold her in his warm embrace.


	12. The Great Deception

_Disclaimer: I don't own "Inuyasha"._

_Word Translations:_

_Youkai - demon  
__Taiyoukai - great demon  
__Hanyou - half-demon  
__Ningen - human  
__Kami - deity  
__Miko - priestess  
__Shikon no Tama - the Jewel of Four Souls. The same jewel that everyone is after in the series.  
__Oni - a kind of ogre-like demon_

_

* * *

_

The letter simply appeared one morning, smoothly wedged in between the wooden front doors of a large house that Naraku maintained as part of the numerous abodes he lived in when he moved around. It was discovered soon after when the demon and his entourage arrived at the house.

"… we humbly hope that you'll pay us a visit three days from now," reading its contents aloud, Sachiko noticed the crisp, smooth quality of the paper and elegant script the letter was written in.

"Who is this Azumamaro anyway?" Kagura echoed the question that was on everyone's mind.

Naraku pondered for a moment. "A demon lord. And an unsavory character, from what I hear."

"Will you meet him?" Sachiko asked.

The dark-haired demon sighed, "Might as well. We'll see where Fate leads me."

Three days later, Naraku left alone for his meeting with Lord Azumamaro, the ruler of the East. Speeding through the clouds, his baboon pelt flying in the wind behind him, Naraku soon arrived at the abode of the Lord of the East. As he slowed down and descended into the mountain abode of the demon lord, Naraku found himself surrounded by clouds lined with the warm pink, lavender and golden hues of a sunrise. Beyond the layers of cloud and mist, he stepped into a garden-like world where time seemed to be perpetually frozen at the height of spring when cherry blossoms continuously flower, their tender pink petals falling gently on the mossy ground.

A marvelous mansion with roofs of gold rose out of this surreal garden high in the mountains. The rocky outcrops and boulders of the mountaintop were reshaped by demonic power into a kind of fortress wall, keeping out intruders. Strolling calmly to the large, gold and ivory inlaid doors of the mansion Naraku's keen eyes took in every detail. Although there were no visible servants to announce his arrival, the gold and ivory doors opened of their own accord. He was met at the other side by an old oni with a long, green beard who quietly showed him inside.

A strange hushed silence pervaded the halls of Lord Azumamaro's mansion as Naraku strode across near empty corridors with highly polished wooden floors. His keen eyes caught the movement of servants who seemed like ghosts, flashes of colour that appeared and disappeared as they went about their business. Just beyond the edge of human hearing and perception they only spoke in hushed whispers which the dark-haired demon picked up with no difficulty.

Deciding to refrain from comments about the mansion's eerie serenity, he followed the green-bearded oni till he was shown into a simple but elegant room with sliding doors that opened up onto a carefully cultivated garden. Sitting down cautiously in front of a kettle suspended over a heath sunken into the floor, Naraku saw a teacup filled with fragrant tea fade into existence beside him. Glancing casually at the teacup he looked up again calmly when he heard the rustling of silk. Seated across from Naraku as though he had always been there was a young, handsome demon with golden hair and eyes that resembled the sun rising over the horizon at dawn. Naraku noted with some amusement the similarity of this demon lord to Sesshoumaru. With the exception of his golden hair, a somewhat cunning demeanor, the lack of magenta stripes and a crescent moon, this taiyoukai could have been the Lord of the West's older brother.

"I welcome you, Naraku, to my humble abode," the tenor voice of the Lord of the East was soft even though it had a remarkable timbre that pierced through the silence of the mansion.

"Why have you requested this meeting with me?" there was a haughty tone in the demon lord's voice that was starting to irk Naraku.

Azumamaro laughed, "Direct as ever. Very well, I shall come to the point. I have called you here to propose an alliance with you."

"I have heard of you, Azumamaro. And I am aware that there were instances in the past where an alliance would have been beneficial to you, but you have taken no allies. Why now of all times? And why choose me?"

Azumamaro picked up his teacup with a dainty hand and sipped the steaming liquid. "It has always been my intention to ally with you. Your powers and cunning are known throughout our world. However, till very recently, you have sunk yourself in pursuit of the Shikon no Tama. I could not therefore approach you with my offer."

Naraku frowned. "Why should my pursuit of the Shikon have any bearing on your decision to ally or not?"

"What I have to say to you next may sound impertinent, but I ask you to hear me out," Azumamaro placed his teacup on the tatami mat floor beside him and brought his hands together, the tips of fingers pressing against each other in a firm gesture. "While your mind was clouded by the pursuit of this tempting but deceptive gem, I could not share with you certain specifics that I have uncovered through years of investigation."

Naraku folded his arms, "The Shikon no Tama is a powerful artifact. It increases the power of the demon who wields it. Does it not then stand to logic that every demon alive would want to lay his hands on it?"

"The Shikon no Tama tempts by offering to fulfill the wish of any who possess it. However, the same magic that makes it so enticing also prevents it from finding any true owner. Were you still in pursuit of it, you would certainly find yourself almost… always almost having the gem completely in your possession, but forever having it slip from your grasp at the very last minute."

Naraku was silent. The taiyoukai's observations were not untrue.

"The Shikon, you see, was never meant to belong to anyone. It was made to create chaos wherever it goes. Specifically… it was intended to create chaos among all that have demonic blood," Azumamaro leaned back as he tried to gauge the dark-haired demon's reaction.

"Your theory is interesting, but chaos is to be expected when so many want a single thing," Naraku began to wonder if Azumamaro was also prone to paranoia.

"Not merely a theory. I have proof, but I'll come to that later. There is more that I have to tell you about the Shikon," the taiyoukai ran his finger along the rim of his teacup deliberately. "Round about a thousand years ago, some celestial beings… kami… became dissatisfied with the state of the world. They looked down from the high heavens and saw a terrible blemish on the world that they thought they had created. That blemish – our demonic race, they saw as a terrible scar."

"Although they lamented over this, they did nothing till one of their own was cast from the heavens for a minor infraction of their tedious rules. Although this type of banishment is not unheard of, what really caused them to truly fear and despise us was the fact that this same kami forsook all ties with the celestial world and became a youkai with no intention of seeking redemption and returning to the celestial world."

"That any kami could turn away from their holy heritage and live in demonic debauchery was unthinkable - a complete abomination. There was naturally an uproar in the high heavens and half the kami swore that they would purge creation of all youkai to prevent the taint of our influence from spreading," Azumamaro laughed.

"And what did the other half say?" the story might be a complete fable, the fabrication of the demon lord's twisted mind, but nothing else of late had amused Naraku this much.

"True to their nature as kami, they sat back and did nothing, waiting for time and circumstances to take their course," Azumamaro grinned.

The Lord of the East continued with the account, "Exercising their influence over the threads of fate and destiny, they caused the emergence of demon slayers and priests who saw it as part of their duty to exterminate us. However, after a few hundred years or so, it became evident that they couldn't merely depend on humans to do their dirty work for them. Their ningen servants were too weak and youkai continued to flourish all over the world. So they had one of their kind mate with a human female and through this mating, twins were born. One male, one female."

"The female child grew in strength and power and became the miko Midoriko. As a slayer of demons, she was second to none… At last, heaven had a warrior that could turn the tide in their favour. And turn the tide she did, for many years. However, some of the youkai hatched a plan to finish her once and for all, and trapped her in a cave where they attacked her in vast numbers."

"The youkai were led by a powerful demon dragon who was her equal in terms of skill and power. However, as it turned out, luck smiled on the dragon and it managed to land a fatal blow on Midoriko," for a moment, there was a kind of ruthless joy in Azumamaro's eyes as he recounted the miko's defeat. "In order to prevent the youkai from achieving a complete victory, the gods caused a gem to be born from the energies of the battle between Midoriko and the demons."

Azumamaro paused to pour more tea into his cup, and then looked up into Naraku's blood-red eyes, "I know you have probably heard from your sources that Midoriko had created the gem by trapping the souls of the dragon and herself in it, thus stalemating their last battle. This is not true. Although she was a great slayer by human standards, she wasn't much of a strategist. As she lay dying in the coils of the dragon, heaven itself intervened to create the Shikon. From the auras and powers of the miko and those she fought, the gods made a chaotic thing that attracted the attention of evil men and of course… youkai."

"Interesting... divide and conquer. I didn't think that kami were capable of such underhanded manipulation," Naraku had decided that the taiyoukai was indeed an excellent storyteller and was actually starting to enjoy himself.

"Indeed. But I have not yet fully explained the depth of their machinations. The twin of Midoriko, did not become a priest, instead, he took up farming and had a large family. Fortune smiled on some of his descendants and they became landowners and later nobles. The other half of the family continued on as farmers."

"A few hundred years ago, the enemu orchestrated an event that shook the demonic world. A certain taiyoukai, one whom they called Inutaishio fell in love with a mortal woman, who was incidently a descendant of Midoriko's brother. From that union was born a son, I believe you know him well as the hanyou Inuyasha..."

Naraku raised an eyebrow. This was certainly getting more interesting by the minute.

"I don't believe for a minute that a demon as powerful as the dog general would actually fall for a frail, simpering woman, no matter how noble her heritage. From what I understand, they had manipulated the threads of fate to bring Inutaishio and the woman together and caused him to fall for her. They chose the dog general not only because they wanted to get rid of the most powerful pure-blooded demon lord ever born to our race, but also because of Inutaishio's history with their kind."

"They then arranged for the hanyou to meet the miko Kikyo, who was also descended from Midoriko's brother. Although by this time the kami blood in her was very thin, it nonetheless made her a lot more potent than any other normal, fully human miko. This was why Kikyo, and not Tsubaki, was chosen to become the guardian of the Shikon when it fell into the hands of the priest who trained the dark priestess. It had nothing at all to do with Kikyo's purity or personality, but as you know, Tsubaki never figured that one out."

Naraku remembered Tsubaki and snorted at the tragic irony. "It did seem strange when I first heard Tsubaki's account of her life. She was a priestess who was of higher prestige than Kikyo and yet she was not chosen to be the Shikon's guardian. At that time, I wondered if there could be another reason for the strange choice but I didn't really probe further."

"I see you are starting to understand the depth of this conspiracy. However, some time after the Shikon was created, the ruler of hell decided that he had enough of those celestial fools. He then conceived a plan to defeat them, and sent an agent from the realm of demons and the dead into our world, to seek a champion to lead our side when the time comes for the final battle between the world of youkai and the celestial realm."

"An agent you say... Do you know who this might be?" Naraku didn't quite believe what he was hearing, but something made him pay attention to the last part.

"It is not known what form this agent will take, except that when chosen, the champion will have the strength to fight kami and perhaps even rule all of creation - heaven, earth and hell. I obtained this information from an imp who sometimes crosses over from the netherworld to our earthly realm."

Naraku smiled. "Naturally I assume that YOU want to be this champion."

Azumamaro smiled, "Naturally."

"So why ally with me? Why not someone like Sesshoumaru for instance? He is a powerful demon lord, is he not?" Naraku asked. "Moreover, did it not occur to you that I myself might be interested in becoming this champion?"

Azumamaro laughed. "I hope that you'll pardon my bluntness, but I don't believe that it interests you much to become a champion for the entire youkai race. Fighting for others aside from yourself simply isn't something that you find worthy of your attention. Neither is ruling the entire universe. It would become... tedious after awhile, denying you the freedom that you enjoy."

Naraku had to restrain himself from flinching when he heard Azumamaro's assessment. Although he never quite admitted it, even to himself, he had no real interest in conquering the world or anything of the sort. After all, what on earth would he do once he had the whole world at his feet?

"You make some very bold assumptions, Azumamaro," he coolly replied.

Azumamaro smiled. "In answer to your other question. No, I have never considered Sesshoumaru a possible ally not because he might be a potential rival, but because he and his entire family are tainted. In fact, I don't even think he qualifies because he is one of them."

Naraku pondered. "It seems rather harsh to judge a youkai by the flaws of his father."

"These are harsh times that we live in," the taiyoukai replied.

"For the sake of... argument, I have to point out, Azumamaro, that you are not the one setting the criteria of selection for this agent that you mention," Naraku knew that there was definitely something amiss here. There was something that the Lord of the East was not saying. "Perhaps hell has a different view as to what qualities they require in a champion. Perhaps a demon as powerful as Sesshoumaru might indeed be what they are looking for, regardless of the extent to which the enemy has tainted his family."

Azumamaro simply smiled. "I do not think so. One does not choose one's enemy to lead one's army. Besides, my spies inform me that our enemy have begun to work their manipulations on our inu friend."

"I see," somewhere in the recesses of Naraku's mind a connection clicked into place.

"And now, I will show you the proof of what I have said," Azumamaro clapped his hands. "Remember I told you that this entire struggle started because a celestial being had turned and become one of us."

"I have heard stories of kami who visited the mortal world but never one where a god became a demon," despite his best efforts, an incredulous look formed on Naraku's face.

The door to the room slid open, and the green-bearded oni entered, bearing a small wooden chest, which he placed before Naraku.

"What is in this chest?" the dark-haired demon asked.

"Proof that the impossible happened," the taiyoukai simply answered.

Carefully, the dark-haired youkai opened the unlocked chest. As the lid flipped open, a shimmering garment that resembled a very long shawl made of silk, gossamer and light came into view. Although Naraku had never seen one before, he instantly recognized it from stories that villagers told.

It was the garment of a celestial maiden, and it exuded the distinct aura of a demon.


	13. 3 Great Enigmas

Disclaimer: I don't own "Inuyasha"

_Word Translations:_

_Youkai - demon  
Taiyoukai - great demon  
Hanyou - half-demon  
Ningen - human  
Kami - deity  
Miko - priestess  
Shikon no Tama - the Jewel of Four Souls. The same jewel that everyone is after in the series.  
Oni - a kind of ogre-like demon_

* * *

Kanna sat absolutely still, mirror turned outwards in Naraku's direction. A pale, delicate creature, she could have passed for a statue if not for the occasional blinking of her strange eyes. Sitting opposite from her, almost as still and in pensive thought was the dark haired, red-eyed demon. He watched quietly as the sliver surface of Kanna's mirror reflected back a white-haired taiyoukai, who leapt with inhuman grace from tree limb to tree limb, expertly stalking his prey.

Unaware that he was being watched, Sesshoumaru stood quietly in on the slender branch of a tree, the lush foliage of the plant concealing his presence from those that he followed. Below, a dark-haired miko in strange attire cycled along a quiet forest path to a clearing where a strange old well stood. The first time he saw Kagome jump into the well, he was so shocked he immediately leaped after her, no bothering to check if someone might be spying on or following him. His panic turned to confusion when he landed on the bottom of the dry well and found that there was no trace of the miko or her shattered body.

Subsequently, he surveyed the well carefully, watching it for days on end to discern its mysteries. It did not take him long to deduce that the well was probably a magical doorway to somewhere. He had dug around the inside of the well, and through his keen sense of smell, determined that there was no secret entrance to any kind of underground dwelling. He had also investigated the possibility that Kagome was some kind of being that occasionally crawled into the well for the purposes of either rejuvenation or some unknown biological process. However, the lack of certain specific magical auras indicating that the well was the dwelling of any kind of holy magical creature caused him to eliminate that possibility.

Therefore he could only conclude that the well was a doorway to somewhere. Where that mysterious realm was, he had no way of knowing. On dark nights, when he was sure his hanyou brother was not hanging around the well waiting for the miko, he had performed arcane rites to "unlock" the "door", but to no avail, for the moist soil of the well's bottom always remained unchanged, refusing to reveal its secrets.

The dog demon quietly considered if he should just capture Kagome and drag her back, like the last time in Furuzawa. It would certainly make it easier for him to be with her as long as she was firmly locked up. However, he realised that luck was on his side in Furuzawa and taking the miko right now would mean that Kagome would get hurt. Although she had "holy powers" that could sear his demonic flesh, alone without her friends, she was no match for the powers he commanded.

The slight rusting of leaves on the forest floor broke his reverie. Peering through the lush foliage, he saw a lumpy, brownish creature making its way quietly through the forest undergrowth to ambush the miko. Like a wolf that has caught the sent of blood on the wind, he leaped to the next tree and pounced downwards like a great cat onto the hapless youkai. In a swift motion that he had executed many times in the past few weeks, his slender fingers slid under the neck of the monster and with a quick flick, snapped it as through snapping a slender bone.

_CRACK!_

Sesshoumaru winced internally. Evidently the monster had a much thicker neck than he anticipated. The loud sound attracted the attention of his quarry who spun round quickly on her bicycle. Kagome made a small, strangled sound when she caught sight of the majestic taiyoukai with a dead demon hanging from one hand. In an attempt to salvage some of his dignity, Sesshoumaru dropped the demon on the ground as through it was a fly he had swatted and leapt upwards into the dense forest canopy where he hoped that he dark leafy green would hide his embarrassment at being found out.

He had noticed that there was a large increase of youkai activity around the village since Kagome was mysteriously saved and returned to her friends. In fact, the miko seemed to draw even more attention from the unsavoury fiends than before her capture. He wondered if it had something to do with Naraku, for the nefarious youkai had on many occasions in the past made use of various petty monsters to steal that ridiculous Shikon no Tama, the fabled Jewel of Four Souls, from Kagome and her friends.

Sesshoumaru had no interest at all in this Jewel and could not understand why an object of holy purity would attract the attention of so many demons and evil men. He did not find this subject worthy of his attention and assumed that those who coveted the Shikon were weak beings who did not have strength of their own and needed the power of another to make their place in the world.

The taiyoukai's most immediate concern however, was the miko's safety and how he might approach Kagome to express his feelings for her. Admittedly, his skills in the art of seducing the female gender were truly lacking. Therefore, he preferred to remain aloof when approached by any female. It was certainly a lot easier to make everyone think that he was picky when it came to his choice of paramours, rather than embarrass himself by tripping over all his usual faux pas when it came to making idle conversation with a lady.

In this respect, he was truly envious of his younger hanyou brother. He could not understand how his brash unpolished sibling managed to win the affection and loyalty of the lovely miko, when he, was undoubtedly the superior of the two in terms of looks, manners and raw power.

Although he could not read Sesshoumaru's mind, the forlorn expression of the demon lord reflected through Kanna's mirror told Naraku all that he needed to know. He did not sympathise with the taiyoukai's silly infatuation, but could empathise with the confusion that Sesshoumaru felt. Naraku sighed when he thought about his relationship with his erstwhile "strategist" and maidservant. Despite the fact that Sachiko was attracted to him on some level, she had thus far refused all his advances. For a being struggling to understand the emotions and desires that now welled up from a psyche that till recently was controlled by the selfish Onigumo, he found it hard to comprehend how his enigmatic servant could say no to him. Certainly, he was the best looking and most powerful youkai in the circles that they moved around in, and being his consort would help provide her with some status and protection in demon society. Yet, he instinctively knew that something important held her back. He wondered at one point, if she already had a lover, but somehow that possibility was remote since she spent almost all her time with either Kagura, Kanna or himself.

Naraku raised his hand, motioning for the wind sorceress, who had been waiting in the room adjoining the one he was in to come over.

"We strike in 3 days," he said as Kagura came in with Sachiko in tow. "Confirm our plans with Azumamaro's people."

With a snap of her fan, the wind sorceress nodded and walked out of the room.

"Is it wise?"

The dark-haired demon turned to look at his inscrutable maidservant, "I despise the Lord of the East, but he is a powerful one who would crush all who are not on his side. Defeating him would be a great annoyance almost on par with the annoyance I faced with the hanyou. Since I've recently decided to be forever free of foes, it would be better to be in his favour, don't you think? Especially when he aims to rule the worlds of heaven, earth and hell."

"I do not think, this agent of hell, whoever it is, would choose him," Sachiko remarked.

"No one knows the mind of Lord Yama," the name of the master of the underworld rolled strangely off the tongue of the dark-haired demon as his mouth turned upwards in a smirk. "From what I hear, he is a capricious and chaotic being whose deeds are often illogical and unpredictable. Azumamaro has as much chance of being our champion against heaven… as myself, or Sesshoumaru … OR even a _mere_ mortal like you."


End file.
